Mommy's little boy
by daxy
Summary: Mrs. Delco still thinks that her son is straight and her little sweet innocent baby boy. --SLASH-- 1st story in my H/E Universe--
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Mrs. Delco still thinks that her son is straight and her little sweet innocent baby boy. SLASH**

A short brunette walked in the hallways of the lab, she had a little purple purse and high heels.

She seemed to know exactly which way to go, but soon ended up in the end of the hallway and looked lost.

Calleigh stood a few feet away with a big grin on her face.

She knew who that woman was and she also knew that the woman had no idea about her sons life what so ever, except for what he did for a living.

Ryan Wolfe saw Calleigh standing behind a wall, grinning. He walked towards her with confusion written all over his face.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked.

Calleigh nodded towards the still very lost woman.

"That's Eric's mother." She smiled.

Ryan looked at the woman, his first impression was that she seemed to have a lot of money, and she seemed spoiled. She didn't look very friendly, in fact she looked like a person who would be nothing but rude to anyone that wasn't rich.

"Is that a bad or a good thing?" Ryan asked.

"Bad, very bad." Calleigh giggled, "She has no idea that Eric is gay." she said.

"I've worked here for three years, and I've never seen her. She doesn't come here often does she?" Ryan asked.

Calleigh shook her head.

"Nope. Only when she wants to see her little baby boy. She doesn't understand that Eric is a grown man." Calleigh chuckled.

Ryan smiled.

"Are you going to tell her where Delko is?" he asked.

Calleigh shook her head. She knew Delko didn't like to have his mother at work, and that she would only embarrass him, and of course there would be one hell of a family tragedy if Delko's parents found out that he was gay.

"I'm going to tell her." Ryan said as he started to walk towards the now obviously angry Mrs. Delko.

Calleigh grabbed Ryan's arm.

"No!" she hissed, "Are you crazy? Why do you want to do that?" Calleigh asked.

"Relax, Cal, I'm not going to tell her where Delko is, I'm just going to talk with her a little bit." Ryan reassured her.

As Ryan got closer to Mrs. Delko he could see some similarities between her and Eric.

Same brown eyes, same ears and the same nose.

"Hi, Can I help you with something ma'm?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, could you tell me where I can find Eric Delko?" Mrs. Delko asked.

"Um… He's not here at the moment." Ryan said.

He had planned to send her to the morgue, but when he looked into her eyes he got a creepy feeling, and decided not the play with the fire.

Mrs. Delko sighed.

"Well, it is his girlfriends birthday, and I want to met the young lady." Mrs. Delko said.

Ryan almost laughed out loud. He really had to concentrate not to laugh.

"Girlfriend?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, one of my daughters said that Eric had a lover, and that they had been together for about a year. I assume that it's a girlfriend." Mrs. Delko said.

Ryan had an urge to tell Mrs. Delko that it sure was a girlfriend, if the girlfriend had short red hair, no boobies and a penis. But decided not to say anything.

"Well, I don't know anything about a girlfriend, but you know what, as soon as Eric comes back I'll tell him to call you." Ryan said.

"Oh no, I'll wait." Mrs. Delko said.

Ryan nodded and then quickly excused himself.

Calleigh, who was still hiding behind the same wall, giggled when Ryan came back to her.

"She's creepy isn't she?" Calleigh asked.

"Yeah, her eyes are creepy." Ryan agreed.

Calleigh giggled and then waked away. Ryan noticed that nobody seemed to want to the leave their labs. As if they where afraid to meet Mrs. Delko. Ryan shrugged, except for the creepy eyes and sort of rude-in-a-nice-way attitude, there was nothing wrong with that woman.

-I-

After two hours or so Mrs. Delko had managed to locate Eric, and she was know clinging around his neck in a motherly hug.

"Oh Eric, my sweet little child, I haven't seen you in such a long time." Mrs. Delko said.

Eric rolled his eyes towards Natalia who was also in the room.

She knew what kind of annoying person Mrs. Delko was from the time that she and Eric had dated.

"Mom." Eric sighed.

"I had to come down here when I heard that it was your girlfriends birthday!" Mrs. Delko squealed. "I can't wait until I get to met her!"

"Um… mom, who told you that I had a girlfriend?" Eric asked.

His mother moved away from him.

"Oh your sister Maya told me. She said that she was going out today to celebrate your lovers birthday. I assumed she meant girlfriend, but just wanted it to sound more serious by using the word "lover"." Mrs. Delko smiled.

Eric sighed. He knew that Maya must have used the word lover instead of boyfriend. All of Eric's sisters knew about him and Horatio. They had no problem with the fact that Eric was gay. His parent however, were very old fashioned and would never talk to him again if they found out.

"Well, mom, it's true." Eric said.

"Fantastic Eric! Then maybe I can met her tonight, at your place?" Mrs. Delko asked.

"Well, the thing is mom, I've already moved in with her. So the party begins at her house." Eric said.

"Well, that's alright. Where does she live?" she asked.

Eric told his mother the address and he also told her not to show up before six.

"Anyway, mom, I have to work." Eric said.

Eric's mother nodded and walked out of the lab.

Eric sighed, oh boy was he in trouble now.

-I-

Most people would probably go home when their children are working.

But not Mrs. Delko, no, she stayed around in the lab and just walked into some of the labs.

After a couple of hours she found her way down to Calleigh.

"I remember you! You're Ms. Duquesne." Mrs. Delko said as she saw Calleigh working with some paperwork.

Calleigh smiled.

"And you're Raquel Delko." Calleigh said.

Raquel nodded, she didn't always like that people called her by her first name. She thought it was classier to be called Mrs. Delco, but Calleigh was one of the few that was allowed to call her Raquel.

"How are you Callie?" Raquel asked.

"I'm fine, how are you?" Calleigh asked.

"Oh I feel so good, especially now that Eric has moved in with his girlfriend, he's finally found the love of his life. I'm just waiting for the grandchildren." Raquel smiled.

Calleigh chuckled. She was in for a shock, that woman.

She knew that both Eric and Horatio loved children, but they had both accepted the fact that they would never get any. And Raquel sure wasn't in short of grandchildren, she had twelve of them.

"Well, you never know." Calleigh said.

Calleigh found it so hard to not say anything or to laugh out loud at Raquel's joy of a Eric's "girlfriend".

She wished that Raquel would leave her lab, since she was so afraid she'd slip and say boyfriend.

"Do you want any children, Callie?" Raquel asked.

"Yeah, sure, one day. When I find the right guy." Calleigh asked.

"Well, I always thought you and Eric would end up together." Raquel smiled.

Calleigh nodded and gave Raquel a fake smiled.

She had been in love with Eric at one point, but he always teased her like a sister, and even sometimes said she was his sister. But the wasn't in love with Delko anymore, now she loved him just like a little brother.

Calleigh was dating Ryan, and she loved him very much. She didn't want Raquel do know that though. If Raquel found out that Calleigh were seeing someone, she probably start planning the wedding, because according to Raquel, Calleigh is family. Calleigh would like to plan her own wedding and not with the Mother-in-law from hell.

"Well, I have to get going. I'll see you later maybe Callie or some other day." Raquel smiled and waved as she left the lab.

Calleigh groaned when Raquel was out of sight.

"That woman is killing me." she groaned.

"She kills me too." she heard Eric say.

Eric had a worried look in his face.

"How are you going to tell her?" Calleigh asked.

"I'm not sure. I have to tell Horatio about the situation too. He's a this budget meeting today and doesn't want to be disturbed so it'll have to wait until later." Eric sighed. "Did you know she's expecting me bring her at least four grandchildren." Eric smiled.

"Yep, she came in here and told me that she hoped you'd get children soon, I guess we have to get Horatio pregnant somehow." Calleigh joked.

Eric laughed, the image of Horatio with a big pregnant belly made him cry tears of joy.

"I don't think H would want to be the one carrying the baby, it would have to be me." Eric laughed.

Calleigh was also laughing, she couldn't imagine neither Eric or Horatio with a belly that big.

"She asked me if I wanted children too." Calleigh said once she and Eric had calmed down.

"Yeah, do you think Ryan wants it?" Eric asked.

Calleigh and Ryan had been together for about two years now.

They already lived together and Eric knew Ryan had thought about marrying Calleigh someday, but he still didn't feel ready to pop the question.

Eric also wanted to get married, but his wish was that Horatio proposed.

"Oh yeah, I know he wants kids. But we haven't talked about it yet." Calleigh said.

Eric nodded, then he hugged Calleigh and said goodbye.

Eric looked at the time and sighed, it was only two in the evening, it would be maybe three hours until Horatio would be done. Eric decided to go home early, he needed time to plan his whole evening.

His mother was supposed to come by the house by six, and he had to tell her everything, unless of course Horatio didn't want her to know, but Eric doubted that.

Then he had to met his sisters and Frank, Alex, Ryan, Cal, Nat and all the lab rats at seven thirty at Alfredo's Italian restaurant.

And Eric hadn't yet bought a birthday present for his read headed lover, he had no idea what to buy, because Horatio didn't know what he wanted.

Eric sighed, this was going to be a busy day.

_TBC…_

**AN: So this is my attempt to write a happy E/H fic. **

**Don't worry, it will all end good, with just a few bumps on the road.**

**And if this story turns out to be good, maybe I'll write a sequel.**

**But please review! I love reviews!!**


	2. Chapter 2

Eric was busy fixing some sort small dinner before his mother would arrive. He hoped that Horatio would make it home before his mother, because he hadn't yet had the chance to tell him about his mother's little trip to the lab. The door bell rang and startled Eric. He walked out of the kitchen and in to the hallway. He hoped that it wasn't his mother being there early. He opened the door and was greeted by a smiling Ryan and Valera.

"Hey Delko, may we come in?-alright thank you." Ryan said quickly and moved with Valera inside the hallway.

Eric closed the door and looked confused at Ryan and Valera.

"Am I missing something here?" Eric asked.

"Nope, not really. We just came here to tell you about this great idea we got." Ryan smiled.

Eric motioned for them to move into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Valera asked pointing at the stove, with a boiling kettle on it.

"Just a small dinner, pasta." Eric said, "So why are you here?"

"Well, you know your mother-don't-know-that-I'm-gay problem?" Ryan asked. Eric nodded.

"Well, you see, we came up with this idea to let Valera play your girlfriend." Ryan smiled.

"No, guys. Look I can't hide who I am forever from my parents." Eric said.

"True, but you don't want to ruin H's birthday, do you?" Valera asked, "I mean, it wouldn't be fun if you started the celebration in a bad mood because of your mother."

Eric sighed, "Good point, but… but, I really think I should tell my mom."

"How do you think she's going to react?" Ryan asked.

"She's going to freak. I know that it's going to be a tragedy for her, and that it might be a bad timing, but I have to tell her someday." Eric said.

"It's not only a bad timing. It's a horrendously-super-horrible bad timing!" Ryan exclaimed, "She's probably going to take it out on H."

"Think about it Eric. We all know that she will definitely be pissed at H too. It's going to kill his mood, and he doesn't deserve it. Not today." Valera said.

Eric shook his head, "H would have approved to my decision if he was here right now."

Ryan sighed, "That's only because H only want's what's best for you! He would never put his feelings first, and you know it."

"We've been hiding long enough." Eric said. He wanted to tell his parents. No, he needed to. The longer he was hiding from them, the more it would hurt for them. He wasn't really expecting Ryan and Valera to understand. They were both straight and didn't have religious and old fashioned parents, that expected a hundred grandkids.

"You know that you parent's reactions are going to hurt Horatio." Ryan said, "Look, it's just for today."

Eric sighed, "I can't. Really, guys."

"Have you even told H yet?" Valera asked.

Eric shook his head.

"Your mother is going to be here in fifteen minutes. And Horatio isn't here." Ryan said.

"He'll be here soon." Eric said.

"No, he won't. The meeting went over time. It won't end until maybe, an hour or so." Valera said, "Please, Eric, it's just one day."

"Oh, yeah? Do you realize how hard it's going to be to explain why I had a fake girlfriend for one day? I mean, my mother doesn't exactly listen to reasons. She going to see it as if I hurt her and so on." Eric said, annoyed.

"What is most important to you? ´Cause it's either hurting H or your mom." Ryan said.

"Oh come on! I don't have to choose." Eric growled.

"Yes, you do." Ryan said.

"One day, Eric. Just this one day." Valera reminded.

Eric sighed. Why was this such a hard choice?

"Alright, alright! Fine, Valera can play my girlfriend." Eric said.

"Good choice." Ryan said, "Now I'm going to leave you turtledoves alone and I'll see you later."

Ryan quickly left. Valera sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. She watched Eric fix the food.

"I'm a little surprised as to how you agreed to this, Valera." Eric said, "I mean, you always tell people not to lie."

"I know, but this is an exception." she said, "I just don't want to ruin H's birthday. If it was the opposite, I would have forced Horatio to agree to the same thing."

"Yeah, but I don't like the fact that Horatio doesn't know yet." Eric said. Valera was about to say something when the doorbell rang.

Eric moved to open the door, and this time it was his mother outside. She squealed as she saw Eric and hugged him hard, clinging around his neck.

"Oh my little baby!" she exclaimed, "I've missed you so much!"

"Mom… mom… mom I need air." Eric choked, and his mother released him.

She walked inside and started babbling about how much she missed Eric and how she still had kept his room at the house. So when ever he wanted to come and visit, he could sleep in his old room. As Raquel came into the kitchen she saw Valera and squealed again.

"Oh you must be the woman that has made a real man out of my baby!" she exclaimed and hugged Valera.

Valera hugged back and laughed. "That's me."

Raquel stepped away from Valera and looked her up form head to toe.

"Well, you are beautiful! That means you're going to get beautiful kids!" Raquel smiled, "It's important you know, the way you look."

Eric felt the urge to strangle his mother. Everything was about the looks for her. She was so honest that she could tell someone loud and clear that they had an ugly child. Eric put the food on some plates and placed them at the table. Everybody sat down and started eating. Well, Valera and Eric were eating, while Raquel talked.

"I hope you have good eggs my dear, I am expecting you to have children." Raquel smiled at Valera.

Valera's eyes widened, was this woman serious? She was actually making up plans for her sons life. Deciding how many children they should have and so on.

"At least four, please. Big family's are good." Raquel said, "And I'm thinking that you two should get married soon."

Eric rolled his eyes. He wondered why his mother wanted to decide so much in his life, but didn't give a damn about his sisters lives. Was it because he was the only son? And according to her old fashioned way a son was more worth than a daughter? He had never asked her that, because the woman would just never shut up.

"And you shouldn't buy pets either. They can hurt the children, and always remember it's children, not kids." Raquel said. She sounded so serious that Valera thought she would soon pull up a scrapbook for wedding pictures. Valera sometimes glanced at Eric and his eyes told her that he understood that she wanted to kill the lady.

"Mom!" Eric suddenly said aloud, "In case you haven't asked yet, this is Maxine Valera, my girlfriend."

Raquel smiled at Valera, "Maxine Valera? Oh dear, you should change the name, it sound too boyish."

Valera gaped at her pretend mother-in-law. Change her name?

"To what exactly? Stick-it-up-your-ass? Valera asked. She just couldn't resist it.

The look on Raquel's face was comical. She gaped at Valera and gasped, "Did I just hear a curse in a house blessed by the lord?" Raquel asked.

Valera once again, couldn't stop herself, "No, you heard a curse in the house built by Lucifer himself!"

Eric quickly put a hand over Valera's mouth. "Valera! Mom! Just stop for a second." He said.

Raquel glared at Valera. According to her Valera was now nothing but trash and she had to be disposed of as soon as possible.

"Where did you find this woman? A trash yard?" Raquel asked.

Valera's eyes widened, she tried to move Eric's hand away form her mouth, but he didn't let go.

"No, mother! I found her… at a… at a sort of… party." Eric stammered.

Raquel looked at him and shook her head. Eric moved his hand away from Valera's mouth and glared at her. His eyes begged her not to say anything stupid.

"Mrs. Delko. I'm sorry for my inappropriate behavior. It was not right." Valera said. Eric sighed, his mother always liked apologies.

"Please call me Raquel. I forgive you dear." Raquel smiled. She had won the fight, Valera had given up.

"Do you have any name suggestions?" Valera asked, trying to look serious.

"Would you really change you name for my boy's sake?" Raquel asked, stunned.

Valera nodded, "Of course. I don't want to be mean and our children should not feel bad because their mother has a strange name." Valera smiled. She felt the urge to puke all over Raquel with her designer clothes and attitude. But she could survive for one night with the hag. Oh, she just wanted to scream, "Hag! Hag! Hag!". But she didn't. She just had to get through an hour and then everything would be fine.

-I-

Eric had expected his mother to leave before six. However, it was now six thirty and his mother was still in his house. Horatio would come home any minute and he had to think of some sort of explanation for his mother as to why his boss lived at his house. Unknown to Eric, Valera was thinking the exact same thing. Raquel kept on babbling about her family history and how every man in the family had taken over the family business. She made sure to mark the words "taken over the family business" to show just how much she disliked Eric's choice of work.

"So, I hope you two are not having sex?" Raquel changed the subject.

Eric sighed, his mother was at it again. Every time he had brought home a girl, his mother would talk about how they could not have sex before marriage.

Valera looked at Eric with a look that said "is she serious?", Eric's look back said, "yes".

"Because you cannot have sex before you are married." Raquel said.

"Well, we haven't had sex yet. We both understand that we are not alowed." Valera smiled.

Raquel smiled back and pinched Valera's cheeks, "Oh, I'm so glad you understand, but why are you sitting so far from each other? It doesn't look like you two are in love."

Eric moved closer to Valera and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Valera wrapped one of her arms around Eric's waist.

"Better." Raquel smiled. Valera sighed, could this woman be any more annoying? Valera would probably need a long vacation after this night.

"Well, I better get going." Raquel said, "It's been nice meeting you two, but I have to go home now." she stood up and moved towards the door. Eric and Valera were quick to follow, they wanted to make sure that she actually got out, and fast. Raquel opened the door, and missed seeing the hummer that pulled up on the driveway and into the garage. Valera and Eric still stood in the doorway, still acting like they were in love.

"How about you show me some love, before I leave?" Raquel smiled. It was as if she wanted proof that Valera and Eric were together.

Eric looked at Valera and she nodded. They didn't see Horatio standing in the corner of the garage. Eric kissed Valera quickly and smiled at his mother.

"Good, now I'm sure." Raquel said and waved as she walked back to her car, which she had parked out on the street.

Eric and Valera sighed as she drove away and Horatio walked towards them.

"Who was that?" Horatio asked.

Eric sighed, he had some explaining to do. Valera tried to sneak away, but Eric grabbed her arm.

"Oh no, you talked me into to this and you're going to help me explain." Eric said.

The three of them moved inside the house and into the kitchen. The time was now six forty.

"Eric we have to be at Alfredo's at seven." Horatio said.

"I know." Eric said, "Okay, H, that was my mother."

Horatio's eyes widened. Why had Eric not let him met her?

"I'll make it a fast version." Valera said, "That hag doesn't know that Eric is gay and living with you. She would not approve because of her old fashioned way and religion. So Ryan and I came over here and talked Eric into letting me play his girlfriend." Valera said.

"Why not just tell her the truth?" Horatio asked.

"Because I didn't want to ruin your birthday. I didn't want us to celebrate in a bad mood. Trust me, my mom will freak when she finds out about us." Eric said, "I'm sorry H."

Horatio smiled and kissed Eric, "Eric, I'm not mad. I understand why you did it."

Eric smiled, "Good, but don't worry. We're going to tell her."

Valera sighed, "Okay, good. Everything's good. Let's get to Alfredo's."

Eric and Horatio laughed and moved out of the house. They had a birthday to celebrate. It was when they were inside a hummer that Eric realized he still hadn't bought a gift for his lover. Eric sighed, why was it so hard to by a gift for H?

-I-

There was a lot of noise in one of the corners in Alfredo's restaurant. Eric and Horatio were there, together with Valera, Tyler, Ryan, Natalia, Alexx, Frank, Calleigh, Cooper, and Eric's sisters.

"Whoa, whoa! Wait a minute, she actually told you that you had to change your name?" Eric's sister Maya asked Valera.

Valera had told everybody about the meeting with Raquel and now there was nothing else to talk about.

"Yeah!" Valera said, "I mean, how evil isn't that?"

Eric's sister Carla laughed, "Oh my god, that is so our mom! She expects every girl to be named Britney and every guy to be named Daniel now a days."

"Sometimes she's so old fashioned that is scares me." Maya said, "I mean she needs to get laid or something."

Everybody laughed, and clapped their hands at Mayas words.

"But what did you tell her then?" Alexx asked.

Valera chuckled, "I asked her if my new name should be Stick-it-up-your-ass!"

"Way to go girl!" Maya said, "Horatio, if you feel like you want to hit our mother in the head or something when you meet her, feel free!"

If there were anyone who knew about Raquel's evil manners it were Eric's sisters. They never seemed to be good enough for their mother, while their father never said much about anything. The oldest sister, Trish, had once come to the conclusion that the reason their mother so badly wanted to have sons instead of daughters was because she thought that their father wanted it. Her mission in life seemed to be to fill her husbands every wish.

"If mama want's to make dad happy, she just stop wasting his money on things that will only make her look older instead of younger." Maya said. Maya, was the sister that always spoke her mind. She was much like her mother in that way, but Maya would never be mean.

"But was she always like that?" Calleigh asked.

"Oh no, she used to be normal." Trish said, "But that was before every one of us moved out."

"Yeah, remember she said she has still saved our rooms just the way they were when we left?" Carla asked.

"Hell yeah, she probably still have out first diapers framed up in the house." Maya laughed.

Everybody laughed and couldn't agree less to the wonderful statements from Maya.

"Now, Valera, I know that you can get in a very bad mood when someone says something stupid to you. Let me ask you something, did you by any chance mention Lucifer in Raquel's presence?" Alexx asked. She knew that Raquel hated any mentioning of the devil.

Valera smile, "Oh yeah! I said that Eric's house was the house built by Lucifer himself!

Everybody laughed and clapped their hands.

"Oh my, mom is going to try and drive the demons out from you, just wait and see." Maya chuckled.

After a while, the birthday cake was brought to the table and placed in front of Horatio. There were 46 candles on it and the cake was three stories.

"Now don't you go and wish anything dirty." Trish joked.

Horatio blushed and everybody chuckled. Trish smiled at Frank and he cursed as he took out twenty bucks from his wallet.

"I bet against her. I said she couldn't get H to blush." Frank explained.

"Never ever, bet against Trish." Ryan smiled.

"Yeah you should know Ryan." Trish laughed. Now that really got everybody's attention.

"He bet against me once and said that I couldn't get that Rick Stetler guy to squeal like a girl, he lost of course and Ryan had to run around my parents house butt naked and sing the national anthem." Trish said, and Ryan blushed. When Ryan blushed, Trish turned towards Natalia.

"Now you owe me ten bucks." Trisha smiled and Natalia handed her the money.

"Did you all bet something with someone?" Eric asked.

"Yeah." Frank said, he turned towards Maya, "I bet that you would say that. Thank you Eric, you just won me ten bucks."

Horatio was chuckling the whole time. If there was one thing that the Delko sisters loved to do it was to bet with his team.

"Now, blow out the candles." Maya smiled.

Horatio took a deep breath and managed to blow out 38 candles at the same time. He took another deep breath and blew out the rest. After that everybody started to eat from the cake.

_TBC…_

**AN: Eric's sisters are based on two of my friends****J**

**Please review! I love reviews! I hope no one gets pissed by the way I'm portraying Raquel Delko. ****J**


	3. Chapter 3

Eric smiled at Horatio as he gently kissed his neck. It was only 6 AM, but they would soon have to go to work.

"Good morning." Horatio said softly.

"Good morning." Eric said between kisses, "Did you enjoy your birthday?"

"Yes, it was great. And your gift was the best one." Horatio smiled.

Eric smiled back. Eric had gotten Horatio an amulet engraved with: _My heart, my soul, my angel and light, love Eric. _

The gift had touched Horatio, he had never gotten a gift like that from anyone, and it made it clear to Horatio that Eric truly loved him. That Eric loved Horatio just as much as Horatio loved him.

Eric had bought the gift at the last second. He had been searching for the perfect gift for his lover for several weeks, and just three minutes before a jewelry store was about to close for the day, Eric had walked in and seen the amulet. He knew Horatio liked amulets. So Eric had bought it for him.

"Will you wear it today?" Eric smiled.

"Of course, I will always wear it." Horatio smiled and kissed Eric.

Eric continued to kiss Horatio further down. He kissed his chest and slowly moved down to the belly.

Horatio chuckled as Eric kissed him softly on his sides and around his belly button. Horatio was ticklish and Eric knew it.

"Eric." Horatio chuckled, "Eric stop tickling!" He laughed.

Eric grinned and continued to kiss further down. He reached Horatio waist and Horatio tried not to squirm away as Eric kissed him.

"You're ticklish everywhere." Eric chuckled.

"Not everywhere. I'm not ticklish on my nose or my ears." Horatio grinned.

Eric chuckled softly and slowly ran his hands up and down on Horatio's chest.

"I need to shower." Eric said, "Feel like joining me?" he asked.

"No, I'm not sure." Horatio said, trying to sound serious.

Eric grinned and glanced at Horatio's underwear.

"I think your buddy says different." Eric grinned.

Horatio chuckled and went with Eric to the shower.

**-I-**

"Maxine!" A voice that could only belong to one person. The one and only Raquel Delko echoed in the halls of the lab.

"It's not even nine o'clock and that woman is already here." Valera groaned. She forced herself to smile as Raquel entered her lab and gave Valera a big hug.

"I would like us two to go out and talk a little, is that alright with you?" Raquel asked.

"Well, Mrs. Delko, I'm working right now." Valera said.

"Oh I know, but maybe you have some time at around twelve?" Raquel asked.

Valera nodded and smiled, "Sure."

"Excellent! And please call me Raquel." Raquel smiled and left Valera alone. Valera groaned, the mere presence of that woman made her crazy. She couldn't stand pretending to be Eric's girlfriend much longer. She had to call him. Valera picked up her phone to call Eric; he really needed to tell his mother about him and Horatio.

"Delko." Eric answered his phone.

"Eric, it's Valera. Listen you need to tell your mother about Horatio." Valera said, "She wants to talk with me at lunch, and it sounds serious."

"Look Valera, how am I going to tell my parents?" Eric asked, "I don't want them to be hurt or Horatio to get the blame."

"Eric, the longer you wait the more it's going to hurt. And you know Horatio wants you to tell them." Valera said.

"Valera I have to go, I have a crime scene to process. I'll talk to you later." Eric said.

"Eric, wait…" Valera said, but Eric had already ended the phone call.

Valera sighed; until Eric told his parents who he really was she would have to pretend to be his girlfriend. But she didn't really like the idea of having lunch with Raquel.

**-I-**

Eric sighed. He knew he had to tell his mother. But it wasn't something that was easy for him. His mother had stayed out of his life for several years and then all of a sudden she shows up. He looked over at Horatio who was questioning a witness. He loved Horatio. But he wanted his parents to like him too. It felt somewhat important for Eric that his parents accepted his life partner. Even though we wouldn't let them decide who he should date or not date. He just wanted them to accept his life.

Eric knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with H. H was his soul, he was everything to him. But it seemed like he was so afraid of being the family's black sheep, he couldn't even come out and just admit who he was.

"How's it going?" Horatio asked and Eric snapped out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, right, well, I found some fingerprints; I'll run them in the lab later." Eric smiled.

"Okay, are you alright?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah." Eric said.

"Okay, listen I thought that maybe tonight we could rent some movies and just cuddle in front of the TV, just you and me." Horatio smiled.

Eric smiled back, "I'd love to H." He said.

Little did Eric know that he wouldn't get to cuddle with Horatio that night.

**-I-**

Valera put a fake smile on her face once again as she sat down across from Raquel at a fancy lunch restaurant. Valera knew only rich people hung out here, and that she couldn't possibly pay to eat here.

"I've never really been here; it's a little too expensive for me." Valera said.

"Oh it's alright dear. I will pay for lunch today, and then you can pay tomorrow." Raquel said.

Valera looked with wide eyes at Raquel. Was this woman seriously expecting them to have lunch everyday of the week? Because if that was the case, Valera had to make a new budget for herself.

"So you want to have lunch tomorrow too?" Valera asked.

"Well of course. You're family now and we should spend more time together, so that we get to know each other." Raquel smiled.

Valera smiled, "Of course."

"Good, now I have some things I want to discuss with you." Raquel said, "But let's order some food first."

A waiter arrived at the table and took their orders.

Before Valera was able to say what she wanted to eat, Raquel ordered some sort of Italian food for her. Valera couldn't even pronounce the name and she sure as hell had no idea what would be in her food. But she chose not to ask what sort of food it was.

"The first thing I want to discuss with you is your name." Raquel said as the waiter left. "You said you were willing to change your name for future children and I have some suggestions for you." Raquel said.

Valera gasped. The woman was unbelievable! Not only did she want Valera to change her name, but she had obviously gone home yesterday and started to come up with suggestions right away. If Valera was about to change her name she wanted to find one herself. Hopefully though, Raquel would find out about Eric and H before Valera had to change her name.

"Don't look so stunned dear. You said you would do it." Raquel snorted.

"Of course, I'm just a little shocked, I mean; did you really go through all the trouble of finding some suggestions for me?" Valera smiled.

Raquel gave Valera a big smile, "Of course dear, do you want to hear them?" Raquel asked.

Valera nodded.

"Alright, well there is nothing wrong with your last name Valera. But Maxine needs to go away, so I was thinking maybe: Annie, Beth, Jill or Marie." Raquel smiled.

Valera felt the urge to stick a fork down Raquel's throat; but she managed to keep calm though.

Before Valera could answer the food arrived.

Valera's food was some mixture of Italian and Indian. There was meat and some pasta, and vegetables and some sort of sauce to it. It didn't look like lunch, a lunch was supposed to be simple according to Valera, and her food certainly wasn't simple.

"What do you say about the names?" Raquel asked.

"Well, um, I like the last one… Marie." Valera said.

Raquel smiled, "Me too. You look like a Marie."

Valera smiled and took a bite of her food. It certainly was tasty and nothing wrong with it, but she felt like spitting it on Raquel.

"Did you have any other things to discuss?" Valera asked.

"Oh yes, I was wondering if you're eating any pills?" Raquel asked.

"Pills? You mean so I won't get pregnant?" Valera asked, she was a bit stunned. Raquel had no boundaries of what to ask or not to ask. Valera usually had no problem talking about some stuff in private life, but this was way too private.

"Yes, are you?" Raquel asked.

"No." Valera said. She knew what Raquel wanted. She wanted Valera to get pregnant, so it was best to say that she wasn't eating any pills.

"Good, good." Raquel said, "One problem solved then." She laughed.

Valera smiled.

"And then I was wondering if I might be able to sleep at yours and Eric's place tonight?" Raquel asked.

Valera almost choked on the food.

"Are you alright dear?" Raquel asked.

Valera nodded. Now Eric really had a problem, how was he going to explain to his mom about the lack of female stuff in his house?

"Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, Eric snores and I sleepwalk." Valera said.

"Oh yes, I'm sure. I might even bring my husband with me." Raquel said, "You haven't had a chance to meet Eric's father yet."

"Okay, well, I guess it's okay then." Valera smiled, "Have you talked to Eric about it?"

"Yes, I called him right before you arrived." Raquel smiled, "He said that it wasn't a problem."

Valera nodded. She knew Horatio wouldn't like it.

"Now Valera, or should I say Marie, we can go and change your name tomorrow if you like?" Raquel asked.

Valera almost panicked. Hell no, she couldn't do that, she had to make something up fast.

"No, I'm going to have to let the department know first and it might take a while." Valera said.

"Okay, so maybe next week then?" Raquel asked.

"Yes, that will work." Valera smiled.

"Great!" Raquel chuckled.

Valera smiled and continued eating her food, listening to Raquel talking about Eric as a kid. Valera really needed to speak with Eric. Raquel was moving fast and Valera was pretty sure that Raquel soon would show her a potential wedding dress and after that she and Eric would be married within a month.

**-I-**

Eric knocked on Horatio's office door. He entered the office when he heard Horatio say, "Enter".

"Hey Eric, what can I do for you?" Horatio smiled.

Eric smiled back. He always did when Horatio smiled. Eric hated the thought of making that smile go away. But he had to.

"H, you know about our plans for tonight?" Eric asked.

Horatio nodded.

"Well, it's seems as if it ain't going to work. My mother wants to spend the night with me and Valera; she might even bring my dad. So Valera and I are going to have to pretend to live together tonight. I'm going to have to move some of her things to our house, so that mom wont wonder why there are no female stuff there." Eric said fast.

Horatio just looked at his lover. He wasn't sure if he had heard right.

"You're throwing me out?" Horatio asked, his anger rising.

"No! No! It's just for tonight." Eric said.

"Yeah, and last night was only a one time thing as well." Horatio said, "Why don't you just tell her Eric?"

"It's not that easy." Eric said.

"Look you always said and your parents aren't close, so why are you so afraid of them?" Horatio asked.

"I want them to like my life partner!" Eric said.

"So you would actually be able to break up with me if they didn't like me?" Horatio asked, "´Cause if that's the case, then you should just marry Valera straight away, because your parents may never like me!" Horatio growled.

"Look H, it's just for tonight, I'll tell them tomorrow, but you need to help me move away some your stuff." Eric said.

"No you can do it, while I try to find somewhere else to sleep tonight." Horatio said and he walked out of his office, leaving Eric behind.

Eric cursed at himself. Just three little words and he couldn't say them. All he had to do was to say: _I am gay. _

But he couldn't look at his mom and say it.

Eric snapped out of his thoughts as he heard foot steps behind him. It was Valera.

"Dammit Eric!" Valera cursed and she closed the office door to give Eric and herself some privacy.

"I know Valera." Eric said.

"Horatio is not going to like this. You know what she wants to do? She wants to go and change my name into Marie next week and tomorrow I'm going to have to have lunch with her, again!" Valera said, "Soon she'll be showing me wedding dresses!" Valera exclaimed.

"Horatio is pissed." Eric said. He looked so sad that some of Valera's anger went away.

"Well, Eric, what did you think? You're denying him as your boyfriend." Valera said softly.

"Look, I am going to tell her." Eric said, "It's just hard to tell her and look her in the eyes at the same time."

"I know but if you don't tell her soon, you may loose Horatio. Tell her tonight. I'm there as support." Valera said.

"I can't. I'll tell her tomorrow." Eric said and left the office.

Valera sighed, "Well it looks like I'm going to have to make Raquel hate me so much that she won't come around anymore." Valera smiled to herself, "Tonight might be a fun night."

_**TBC…**_


	4. Chapter 4

Everything was in absolute order. It was less then five minutes before Eric's parents would arrive and he was pacing around in the living room. Valera sat on the couch and watched her "boyfriend".

"Why are you so freaking nervous to meet your parents?" Valera asked.

"They don't know me very well and I just… I guess they're almost like strangers." Eric said.

"Yeah, and lying to them ain't going to make them any less strangers to you." Valera said.

Eric glared at her, "Alright! I get it okay; I am an ass to Horatio. I will tell them Valera." He snapped.

"You better, or I will." Valera snapped back.

Eric was about to say something when the doorbell rang.

"Let's just get through tonight." Eric said to Valera. She nodded.

As Eric opened the front door his mother pulled him into her arms and almost hugged him to death.

Eric's father however looked at Valera from the toes to the head.

"Hello, I'm Joseph, Eric's father." Joseph said and shook Valera's hand.

"I'm Valera, the bitch in the house." Valera smiled. She fought against the urge to laugh as Raquel and Joseph looked at Valera. Stunned as hell. Eric sighed; he should have guessed that Valera was going to destroy the night.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Joseph asked.

"I said I am Eric's girlfriend." Valera smiled, "wich makes me the bitch in this beautiful house."

Raquel gasped, "Marie! How can you say something like that?"

Valera smiled, "Oh it's really easy, I just opened my mouth and used my voice." She said.

"Mom! Valera! Please, calm down!" Eric growled, "Mom, I'm sorry for Valera's behavior, she has…"

"Marie." Raquel interrupted.

"What?" Eric asked.

"Her name is from now on Marie; we will go and change her name to Marie next week." Raquel said.

Eric's eyes widened, was this his mother? Were they related?

"Alright, well, Marie just has PMS." Eric said and Valera slapped his shoulder.

"Thanks a lot asshole." Valera said and walked inside the house.

Eric sighed and showed his parents to the kitchen. He had prepared a small dinner with pasta, shrimps some meat and a lot of other things that his parents liked.

"Excuse me; I'm just going to talk to Val… I mean, Marie for a second." Eric said and went to find Valera.

He found her in the living room, absolutely furious.

"Do not yell please." Eric said.

Valera glared at him, "I hate that woman." Valera said, "She wants us to get married, she wants me to have your babies, and she wants me to change my name into Marie!" Valera growled.

"I'm sorry, but let's just get through tonight, alright?" Eric said.

"And then what? You're going to tell them that you're gay? You said that they were like strangers to you, how can you tell a stranger that you're gay?" Valera asked and disappeared into the kitchen to join her future in laws.

Eric sighed and followed Valera.

**-I-**

The dinner had started well, but Valera had made up her mind to piss Raquel off as much as possible.

Joseph Delko turned out to be a very quiet and calm man, the opposite of Raquel. He didn't ask Valera for anything, but neither did he object to any of the strange stuff that his wife said.

No he just sat there and said nothing.

"Are you feeling any better?" Raquel asked, she had given Valera some painkillers for her PMS problems.

"Huh?" Valera asked.

"Do you feel better?" Raquel asked.

"Oh yeah, I do. I feel high at the moment, I think I want some of that drugs that we have in the bathroom." Valera said.

Raquel and Eric choked on the food and looked stunned at Valera.

"Drugs?" Raquel asked. "You have drugs?!"

"No mom we don't!" Eric sad and glared at Valera, "She's just kidding, she has a sick sense of humor."

"Yeah, but we do have drugs though. I buy every Friday just for me and Eric." Valera said.

"She also happens to have a very wild imagination." Eric said.

"Yeah, so wild that sometimes I imagine that Eric is gay." Valera said and Eric choked on his water.

"Just stop okay!" Eric growled, "Mom, she's not telling you the truth."

Raquel and Joseph said nothing; they just sat and watched the show. But inside Raquel was furious, and she wanted to slap Valera so hard it would make her ancestors dizzy.

"Well, what about the gay porn you hide behind the toilet?" Valera asked.

"Porn?!" Raquel shrieked and Valera covered her ears to save her hearing.

"No mom!" Eric said, "She's just kidding."

"Well there is an easy way to find out; we could just go check the toilet." Joseph said.

"What? You don't believe your own son?" Eric snapped.

Joseph shrugged, "Does it matter, either you're lying or she's lying." He said.

"Eric!" Raquel yelled, "I am going to check the toilet and if I find something there…" Raquel warned.

Valera smiled, maybe she was a little bit too harsh to Eric, but she figured he had had his chances to tell his parents, and he had chosen not to. So now she was going to do it for him. Valera happened to have a gay cousin, and that cousin had agreed to buy gay porn for her to hide in Eric's bathroom. Now all that was left was for Raquel to find it.

Raquel was gone for a while; Eric had expected a scream, since he was suspecting that Valera must have hid something in his bathroom for his mother to find. But there was no sound whatsoever from the bathroom.

Raquel came back after a while and smiled at Eric and Valera.

"There was nothing there." She said.

Valera then remembered that she had forgotten the gay stuff at her house. She banged her head against her table.

"It was a good joke." Joseph chuckled. Raquel slapped him.

"It was not a good joke, it was a bad one. Why did you make a joke like that?" Raquel asked, obviously furious at Valera.

Valera looked up from the table.

"I'm sorry." She said, "But your son is gay."

"Oh stop it! Stop making jokes." Raquel said.

Valera picked up a shrimp and threw it at Raquel. Raquel gasped as the shrimp landed inside her clothes.

"Oh you want a fight; you're going to get one." Raquel growled and picked up her plate and threw the food at Valera.

Valera ducked and the food landed on the floor, instead she threw her drink at Raquel.

And she laughed as it hit Raquel's face, wich made her make up all messed up.

It didn't take long before Raquel threw her husbands food at Valera; wich hit her in the face.

Soon Valera and Raquel were yelling at each other and throwing things at each other.

Eric tried to make them stop, while Joseph sat in his chair, laughing his butt off.

"Mom! Valera! Stop!" Eric yelled. But Valera and Raquel didn't listen and Valera took a hold of Raquel's dress and ripped it open.

"You little hag!" Raquel yelled and slapped Valera across the face.

Valera was quick to slap back and soon the fight was very much physical.

Valera was on top of Raquel and they were pulling each other's hair. Eric and his father were trying to make them calm down and managed to drag them away from each other.

"I am not going to let you marry my son!" Raquel growled.

"Good, ´cause I'm not even his girlfriend!" Valera yelled, "And you're no the one to decide who he should marry or not!"

"I'm going to make sure that you pay for this." Raquel said.

Valera made a move to attack Raquel again, but Eric held her back.

"Stop it Valera!" Eric growled.

"Tell her Eric! Tell her." Valera said.

"Tell me what?" Raquel said and looked at her only son.

Valera calmed down and now everybody were looking at Eric.

"What is it you're supposed to tell me?" Raquel asked.

Eric looked and his mother.

"I can't." He whispered to Valera.

"Yes you can, you're stronger than this Eric." Valera whispered.

"I don't have all day Eric." Raquel said.

"Mom, I uh… I don't know if I can tell you." Eric said.

Valera sighed. It was time for her final prank.

She started coughing and grabbed her throat. Valera made gasping sounds and her knees buckled.

"Valera, what's wrong?" Eric worried.

"I think she's having an allergic reaction." Joseph said, "We have to drive her to the hospital."

"Why should we drive that little…?" Raquel started saying but was cut off by her husbands glare.

"Raquel, a woman's life is at stake here, put aside your anger for a minute." Joseph said.

He gave Raquel the car keys and told her to start the car so that they could drive Valera to the hospital.

"Valera, what are you allergic to?" Eric asked, he was very worried.

Valera didn't answer; she started gasping more and fought to bring tears to her eyes. She wanted it to look like she was really about to die.

"We should call and ambulance instead dad." Eric said.

"No!" Joseph said, "We will get her to the hospital faster if we drive."

Eric nodded and he and his father helped Valera to her feet and out of the house, into the car.

Eric drove to the hospital as fast as he could.

**-I-**

As they reached the hospital Valera was put on a gurney and rolled into an examination room.

The doctor asked Eric and his parents to wait outside.

As soon as the young doctor closed the door Valera let out a deep breath and sat up.

"Wait! Lie down, you…" The doctor said.

"I am not sick." Valera interrupted, "I was faking it."

"You were faking it? That's a waste of time for both you and me." The doctor said.

"So what? You only take care of patient's that aren't a waste of time for you?" Valera snapped.

"No, of course not." The doctor said.

"Good, now pretend that I'm still sick." Valera said.

"Why?" The doctor asked.

"Because, that old lady out there with only half a dress and messed up makeup is annoying the shit out of me and if I have to see her again I might strangle her to death. So be a good doctor and save her life while you pretend to examine me in here." Valera said.

The doctor nodded, "Okay, I guess I can pretend for a while."

Valera smiled.

The doctor started to check her pulse.

"I'm Maxine Valera by the way." Valera smiled and extended her hand."Jason Maxton." The doctor smiled back and shook Valera's hand.

Valera smiled and kind of got lost in Jason's green eyes.

"What do you want me to tell your friends?" Jason asked.

"Oh tell them that I am close to death or something, just don't tell them I'm faking it." Valera said. Jason nodded and was about to leave the room.

"Wait, don't send them in either." Valera smiled and Jason chuckled as he left.

Once Jason got outside the room a worried Eric was next to him in less then a second.

"How is she doctor?" Eric asked.

"Well, um… she's um… she's still sick, but I gave her meds for her allergy." Jason said.

"Can I see her?" Eric asked.

Jason shook his head.

"Why not?" Eric asked.

"She needs to rest… alone." Jason said.

"Are you sure she's sick?" Eric asked.

"Yes, now if you excuse me, I have to go see some other patients." Jason said and left.

As soon as the doctor was out of sight Eric walked inside Valera's room.

Valera had not expected that and was caught of guard as she stood by the window.

"You don't seem very sick." Eric said.

"I'm not." Valera said.

"So why did you fake it?" Eric asked.

"Are you kidding? I would do almost anything to get away from your psycho mother!" Valera said.

"Valera, stop okay. She is my mother, show a little bit of respect please." Eric said.

"Sorry." Valera said, "You refused to tell them your little secret, so I figured what the hell."

"And how was this going to make me tell them?" Eric asked.

Valera thought for a second.

"I'm not sure." She said. "Embarrassment maybe?"

Eric chuckled, "So you went through all the trouble of pretending to be sick and you're not even sure how it was going to help?" He chuckled.

Valera smiled, "Yep, that's me. Sacrificing myself to my friends in desperate times." She laughed, "No hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings." Eric smiled, "But I was wondering something, about that gay porn stuff, what was the original idea? ´Cause I doubt that your idea was to make it sound true and then end up being caught in a lie." Eric said.

"Yep, my cousin had bought gay porn for me to plant in your bathroom. But I, um… I forgot it at home." Valera smiled sheepishly.

"Did you want to keep it for yourself?" Eric asked.

"Oh Eric, Very funny!" Valera said and slapped his arm, "Shouldn't you go out to your parents?" she asked.

"Yeah maybe, I should tell them right?" Eric said.

"Yeah, you have to Eric." Valera smiled.

Just was Eric was about to leave his phone rang, the ID said it was Frank.

"Frank, what's up?" Eric asked as he answered his phone.

"Eric! Horatio was in an explosion!" Frank said on the other end.

Eric knees almost gave out.

"An explosion?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, he's on his way to Dade Memorial right now, but he didn't look to be seriously injured." Frank said.

"How did this happen?" Eric asked.

"We got called to a crime scene an hour ago, it's a house, or was a house. It blew up." Frank said, "Listen I'm on my way to Dade Memorial myself, do you want me to pick you up?" He asked.

"I'm already at the hospital Frank." Eric said.

"How and why?" Frank asked.

"Long story, I'll tell you later, I have to go." Eric said and hung up.

"Whats going on Eric?" Valera asked.

"Horatio has been in an explosion, he should arrive here any minute now. I have to go Valera." Eric said and ran out of the room towards the ER.

Valera was close behind.

As she was about to run past Eric's parents, Raquel reached out and stopped her.

"You don't seem very sick young lady." Raquel said.

"Screw you Raquel!" Valera growled and pushed Raquel away, she then continued to follow Eric.

Eric almost ran into the gurney on which Horatio was laying.

"Watch it man." One of the paramedics said.

"I know this man." Eric said and followed the doctors, nurses and paramedics into an ER room.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room." A nurse said and led Eric out of the room.

Valera soon joined Eric as he stood outside the ER room. She grabbed his arm and told him to follow her to the waiting area.

Eric didn't hear Valera speak, but he followed her.

Eric and Valera were soon joined by Frank and the rest of the team. Eric couldn't care any less right now on the whereabouts of his parents. He didn't mind if they walked around the hospital searching for him.

The only thing he cared about right now was Horatio's status.

**-I-**

After two hours the young doctor who had been treating Valera walked into the waiting area.

"Hi, for those who doesn't know I'm Dr. Jason Maxton." Jason said and glanced towards Valera and Eric.

"How is he doctor?" Frank asked.

"He has no major injuries; just some cuts some small cuts here and there. He did hit his head pretty hard though, so he has a concussion. I want to keep him here overnight and then tomorrow I can determine if he has to stay here any longer." Jason said.

"Can we see him?" Eric asked.

"I can only allow one person right now; the rest will have to wait until tomorrow." Jason said.

Eric nodded.

"What are you waiting for Eric, go see him." Ryan said.

Eric nodded and followed the doctor as Jason showed him to Horatio's room.

"So how come you and he were here before the accident even occurred?" Frank asked Valera.

"Well, I was pretending to be Eric's girlfriend. He had invited his parents for dinner and he still hadn't told them about Horatio." Valera said.

"What did you do?" Alexx asked.

Valera smiled, "I made sick jokes and got into a cat fight with Eric's mother." Valera said, "Then I faked an allergic reaction." She smiled.

The team laughed.

"You are crazy Valera." Ryan laughed, "Who won the fight?" He asked.

"Well no one, we didn't get a chance to finish as Eric and his father pulled us apart." Valera said.

"Is that why you have a shrimp in your hair?" Calleigh chuckled.

"Yeah, it started as a food fight but ended with me on top of Raquel, pulling her hair." Valera smiled.

"I guess she hates you know." Alexx said.

"Oh yeah, very much." Valera smiled.

"Well, you'll have to give us details some other day, but let's go home for tonight, there is nothing we can do right now." Frank said.

"What about the crime scene?" Ryan asked.

"Night shift is taking care of that." Frank said and the all left the hospital.

**-I-**

Eric was holding Horatio's hand. Horatio was sleeping peacefully in a hospital bed.

"H, I am so sorry for hurting you." Eric said softly, "I will tell them, I will. I promise you that."

Eric kissed Horatio's hand.

"I'm never going to do anything like this again." Eric said.

"Good." Horatio whispered.

"Horatio! You're awake?" Eric asked.

Horatio squeezed Eric's hand.

"Yeah, I'm awake." Horatio smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Eric asked.

"Sore, but I'll be alright." Horatio said, "Eric we're going to have to talk."

"I know." Eric said.

"But that can wait for now, right now I need a kiss so that I can get better." Horatio smiled.

Eric chuckled and leaned forward to kiss Horatio.

"Eric!" The shriek of Raquel Delko could be heard.

Eric and Horatio broke the kiss and looked at Raquel.

"You are not my son!" Raquel said and she and Joseph left the room, slamming the door shut.

_**TBC…**_

**AN: Uh oh, trouble on the horizon, huh?**

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Can you believe that Valera faked that allergic reaction? I wish I would have seen that." Ryan smiled as he gently kissed Calleigh.

Calleigh chuckled, "Yeah, I agree." She said.

Calleigh and Ryan were enjoying a small dinner in their apartment. They were sitting on the balcony and watching the sun go down.

Ryan looked at Calleigh and smiled. He loved her more than he loved life itself and he had no doubt that they were meant to be together.

She wanted children and marriage. He knew that. However, he didn't know if he was ready for any that, yet.

"What re you thinking of?" Calliegh asked.

Ryan snapped out of his thoughts.

"Just you and me beautiful." Ryan smiled.

"And what is it about you and me?" Calleigh smiled.

"I was thinking about how lucky I am to have you in my life." Ryan smiled.

"Aw, Ryan. I feel the same way." Calleigh smiled, "I love you."

"I love you too Calleigh." Ryan kissed her again.

"Let's finish our meal and then I can show you how much I really love you." Calleigh teased.

Ryan groaned, "Don't tease Calleigh."

Calleigh chuckled. Ryan had never finished a meal as fast as he did that night.

The next morning Ryan woke up with Calleigh in his arms. She was snuggled against his chest.

That's when he heard a sound that he had never heard during his two years with Calleigh.

He heard her snoring.

He raised an eyebrow. He didn't know she used to snore. But that was probably because she had always woken up before him. Every single day for the past two years, she had been the early bird.

Ryan started chuckling at the sound of Calleigh snoring. Calleigh stirred.

"Ryan, what is it?" A sleepy Calleigh asked.

"You're snoring." He chuckled.

Calleigh more awake sat up and glared at him.

"I do not." She said.

Ryan nodded, "Yes you do."

Calleigh slapped his arm.

"What proof do you have?" She asked.

"I just heard you." He smiled, "You make short gasping sounds and your nose sound clogged." He chuckled.

"Do you want to know what you sound like?" She asked.

"I know, you told me before." Ryan said, "My nose makes whistling sounds." He said and continued laughing.

Calleigh grabbed her pillow and hit Ryan with it. It didn't stop him from laughing though.

"Ryan, it can't be that funny." She said, but was beginning to laugh a little as well.

Ryan nodded, "It is. It's the first time I've ever heard you snore." He said.

"Well, that because I am usually the early bird, silly." Calleigh smiled, "But this morning I needed a proper beauty sleep."

"You're beautiful all the time Cal." Ryan smiled, "No matter how little or much you sleep."

Calleigh kissed him softly on the lips.

"Thank you Ryan, I love you." She said then climbed out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" Ryan asked.

"I'm going to get some breakfast, I than I'm heading to the hospital to see how Horatio's doing." Calleigh called from the kitchen.

"Calleigh, it's only 8: 30, we don't have to go yet." Ryan said.

"8:30?!" Calleigh exclaimed and came running into the room to look at the time.

Ryan nodded.

"Shit! We're late!" She said.

"For what?" Ryan asked.

"Duh Ryan, for work." Calleigh said and started changing clothes from her nightgown to some work clothes.

"We have work today?" Ryan asked. He was still in the bed.

"Yes, it's Wendsday." Calleigh said, "Get you cute butt out of the bed and get dressed, we're already late." She smiled.

"You think my butt is cute?" Ryan asked as he climbed out of the bed.

"Yes, is that not good enough?" Calleigh smiled.

"It's good, but maybe sexy would be more me-like." Ryan smiled.

Calleigh shook her head, "No, your butt is cute." She smiled.

Ryan chuckled.

**-I-**

"Well look which two that decided to finally show up." Frank teased as Ryan and Calleigh arrived at the lab, at nine. One hour late.

"Sorry, we forgot the time." Calleigh said.

"That would be the first time for you. What did you guys do?" Frank asked.

"We were sleeping." Ryan said.

"Okay, Ryan you don't have to tell me stuff like that." Frank said.

"What? Oh no! I didn't mean sleeping like that." Ryan said.

"Sleeping like what?" Frank asked. Calleigh smiled, she knew Frank was just teasing Ryan.

"Sleeping as in sleeping with each other." Ryan explained.

"You sleep in separate beds?" Frank asked, "Why? Do you snore?"

Ryan sighed, "No, I mean… yes, I snore. But what I meant was that the reason that Calleigh and I were late was because we overslept." Ryan said.

"And you couldn't just have said that from the beginning?" Frank smiled.

"Relax, Ryan. Frank is just teasing you." Calleigh smiled.

Ryan glared at Frank.

"It is fun when you mix up what you're going to say." Frank smiled.

Ryan shook his head.

"What are we working with today then?" Ryan asked.

"A murder. A girl says that she shot her father, but the neighbors say it's the wife." Frank said.

He gave Calleigh and Ryan the address of the crime scene.

"Alexx is there waiting for you." Frank said just as Ryan and Calleigh were about to leave.

"Aren't you going there?" Ryan asked.

"No, some of us actually got to work on time this morning." Frank smiled.

"Come on Ryan, see ya later Frank." Calleigh smiled and climbed into the hummer.

"See ya Frank." Ryan said.

"Yeah, you too." Frank said.

Ryan and Calleigh left the lab parking lot.

They arrived at the crime scene rather quickly and Calleigh went looking for Alexx, while Ryan started photographing the scene.

"Hey Alexx." Calleigh smiled.

"Hey sweetie." Alexx smiled, "You're late." She said.

"Yeah, I know. Ryan and I overslept." Calleigh said.

"That would be the first time ever." Alexx chuckled.

Calleigh laughed, "Yeah, but you got to do it someday. Have you gone to visit Horatio yet?" Calleigh asked.

"First thing this morning. He's being released later today." Alexx said, "And guess what?"

"What?" Calleigh asked.

"Eric's mother knows about him and Horatio now." Alexx said.

"She does? Did Eric finally tell her?" Calleigh asked.

"No, she saw them kissing last night." Alexx said, "And she then told Eric that he was not her son."

"Ouch." Ryan said, "That wasn't good."

Alexx shook her head.

"How did Eric and Horatio take it?" Calleigh asked.

"Well, Eric is relieved but also sad; he just wants his parents to accept him." Alexx said, "Horatio doesn't really know what to feel right now, but I would think that has he the same feelings as Eric."

"So how are they going to solve it?" Ryan asked.

"According to Eric, his sisters Maya and Trish would handle everything." Alexx smiled.

"Is that good or bad?" Ryan asked.

"It depends on if which end of the curve you are on." Calleigh smiled.

"Care to explain?" Ryan asked.

"Well, in this case, if you're on Eric's and Horatio's side, it's good. But if you would be Raquel Delko right now it's probably not so good." Calleigh said.

"Raquel Delko is about to get a tongue lashing she won't forget any time soon." Alexx smiled.

"What about Eric's father?" Ryan asked.

"They'll go easy on him." Alexx said.

**-I-**

Once Maya got angry, it was hard to calm her down. And right now, she was very angry.

Her parents had hurt the family for the last time. They would either have to accept their son's life or loose all contact with their children.

Maya had called her father and asked him to meet her at quiet beach, for some privacy.

Even though she was beyond pissed, she would go easy on her father. No one believed that Joseph Delko actually had anything against Eric being homosexual. However, as long as he let Raquel decide and rule over him, he would never be truly free.

Which was strange, since Joseph had always been the strong and demanding one when Maya and her siblings had grown up. Their mother had been demanding too, but not as much as she was now. Raquel has always been in the shadow of Joseph. Now the roles were different.

"Maya." Joseph greeted his daughter as he sat down in the sand next to her.

"Hi dad." Maya said.

"What is it you want to talk about?" Joseph asked.

"I think you know that." Maya said.

"Eric." Joseph sighed.

Maya nodded, "Tell me what's wrong with him?"

Joseph gave her a confused look.

"Something is wrong with him?" Joseph asked.

"I don't know. You seem to think so." Maya said.

Joseph shook his head, "He's gay."

"Yeah, so?" Maya asked.

"It's wrong." Joseph said.

"According to who?"

"In the bible it says…"

"It's a book dad!" Maya interrupted, "Trust me I have nothing against religious people, but when the religion is destroying the family, then it's wrong." She said.

"He's is sleeping with a man." Joseph said.

"Yeah, so? What is that makes him any different from other people?" Maya asked, "Yes, he is sleeping with a man. There is an opposite of everything in life dad." She said.

"Maybe homosexuality is a sort of mutation. Since all living things have cases of mutations." She said.

She could see the wheels in her fathers head turning.

"Dad, nobody knows why there are homosexuals. But they are no different from any other human being." Maya said.

"Eric is different now." Joseph said, "He's filthy."

"No he's not!" Maya growled, "Before you found out that he was gay you would never have called him filthy! Before you found out, he was a good person and there was nothing wrong with him. But as soon you saw him kiss a man you decided that he was a bad man, and that he wasn't your son." Maya said, "How can you decide something like that in just one second? How can a kiss change your opinion on your own child?" She asked.

Joseph sighed.

"I expect an answer to those two questions." Maya said as she stood up.

"Where are you going?" Joseph said.

"I'm going to see mom." Maya said, "Let me tell you something else dad, all those times when you've hugged Eric or just spent time with him, every single moment you've spent with him he has been gay. He has been just as much gay as he is know, yet back then, you didn't see anything wrong with him. But he was the same person that he is now." Maya said, "He hasn't changed as a person dad, if you loved your son one year ago, what's stopping you from loving the same man now?" She said and left her father deep in his thoughts.

**-I-**

Raquel sat in her living room with her two daughters Trish and Maya across from her.

Raquel eyed the carefully, she knew why they were there.

"So how are you?" Raquel asked them.

"We're fine." Trish said, "And you?"

"Fine." Raquel said.

"Mom, we have something to say." Maya said.

"Let me guess you are here to defend your little brother?" Raquel asked.

Trish pretended to be surprised.

"Wow, mom how did you know that?" She joked sarcastically.

Raquel snorted, "He's is not my son anymore."

"Really? Can you just deny the blood band that you two share?" Trish asked.

"I don't have a fag son." Raquel said.

"Fag is such a stupid word. Eric is gay or if you prefer a homosexual." Maya said, "And you do have a gay son."

"Eric can go to hell." Raquel said, "I did not raise him to become gay!" She growled.

"No you raised us all to hate you!" Maya said.

"Maya calm down." Trish said.

"No, I am sick of her." Maya growled, "Mom, you can't raise someone to become gay, you can't choose to become gay either. Either you are gay or not! It's something that just is, and always has been a part of life, and it always will be." Maya said.

"He could live with a woman." Raquel snorted.

"But he wouldn't be happy with a woman. Eric wants to be happy and Horatio makes him happy. Why aren't you glad for him?" Trish asked.

"Glad? You want me to be glad for Eric?" Raquel snorted.

"Yes, isn't that what's most important for a parent? That their kids are happy." Maya said.

"Children." Raquel said.

"Screw you mom! Stop with your stupid corrections! Kids, kids, kids, kids." Maya said, "Am I pissing you off now mom? Kids, kids, kids, ops, I'm using the wrong word." Maya growled.

Maya and Raquel were yelling at each other faces and Trish stood next to them. Calm and collected.

"Out of my house!" Raquel said.

"Gladly!" Maya yelled and walked towards the door. She slammed it shut as she left.

Trish sighed and followed her sister.

Just when she was about to leave, she turned around and looked at her mother.

"You know, the reason that we don't like you is because you only care about yourself. You only want what's best for you and you try to decide everything in our lives." Trish said, "You better think about what's most important for you. Yourself or your kids. ´Cause soon we you'll loose all contact with us." With that said, Trish left.

**-I-**

Horatio and his team together with Valera were sitting on his and Eric's back porch.

They were all laughing as Valera told them about yesterday's events.

"So I faked an allergic reaction." Valera laughed, "And I manage to get that cute doctor in on it as well."

"I think you're in love with that doctor Valera." Calleigh smiled.

Valera blushed.

"Oh she sure is." Frank chuckled.

"Love at first sight." Valera smiled, "He is cute."

"You should fake another allergic reaction to get his phone number." Eric joked.

"No silly, only you would be stupid enough to do that, wait, Ryan would also be stupid enough to do that." Valera joked, "I'm going to do it the easy way."

"It's not stupid to fake an allergic reaction to get someone's phone number, it's actually quite romantic." Ryan said.

"Wow, Wolfe-boy is a romantic, who would have guessed that." Eric teased.

"So are you just going to walk into the hospital and ask for his number?" Calleigh asked.

"Yep, and maybe ask him on a date." Valera smiled.

"Well, he'll get one hell of a ride if you become his girlfriend." Alexx smiled.

Valera nodded, "Oh yeah!"

During the night, Ryan managed to get a moment alone with Alexx and Valera.

They were standing at the front yard of the house.

"So Ryan, this must be important." Alexx said.

"It is. I was wondering if marriage would be a good thing for me and Calleigh."

Valera shrieked and hugged Ryan, "Are you going to propose?" She asked.

Ryan hushed at her, "I'm thinking of it, I need to sort out my thoughts first." He said.

"Yeah, do that first and then ask us for advice." Alexx smiled.

"But a good thing on a ring for Calleigh would probably bee something green." Valera smiled as they all headed back to the porch.

**TBC…**

**AN: Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Once everybody had left Eric and Horatio sat down on the couch.

Eric rested his head on Horatio's shoulder.

"Do you feel like talking now?" Eric asked.

"Only if you do." Horatio said.

Eric nodded and lifted his head up. He looked at Horatio and gave a sad smile.

"You're not mad at me are you?" Eric asked.

"No." Horatio smiled. Eric smiled back.

"I'm sorry for not telling them right away H. I should have. But they're like stranger to me, and I guess I got a little freaked out when they suddenly walked into my life again, after so many years." Eric said.

"I understand." Horatio said, "From their reactions I can definitely see why you were so nervous."

Eric sighed, "Yeah, but it's no excuse." He said.

"It's okay Eric. It did hurt when you wanted to move some of my stuff out of here for that dinner, but it's all forgiven." Horatio smiled.

"Thank you. But it will never happen again." Eric smiled, "I promise you that."

Horatio smiled and kissed him softly.

"Do you really feel that we've talked enough about all of this?" Eric asked.

"Well, I don't know what else to say. I can honestly say that it hurt, but I understand why you did what you did. And I know it won't happen again." Horatio said.

"Still, it feels like there is so much left to explain." Eric said. "Like my relationship with my parents. I mean, all they ever wanted was for me to be just like dad. It's like they've planned out my entire life for me, and I don't get to decide myself what I want. Mom has this weird dream of the perfect family. All her kids are straight, married and have like ten kids each." Eric explained, "It's like we don't know each other."

"I'm sorry for that Eric; it can't have been easy growing up with your parents." Horatio said.

"I had my sisters to lean on at all times." Eric smiled.

"One question just popped into my head." Horatio chuckled, "Whose suggestion was it to let Valera pretend to be your girlfriend?" He asked.

"I think it was both Ryan and Valera. Though I suspect that it was Ryan's idea from the beginning." Eric said.

"And once you put Ryan and Valera together." Horatio laughed.

"You can get so many weird ideas." Eric laughed, "They talked me into it, and at the moment it seemed like a good last minute solution."

"It's okay." Horatio said as he saw Eric's sad look, "Let's move on from here."

"Yeah, my parents already now, so there's no need to hide anymore." Eric smiled.

**-I-**

"You and Valera came up with that idea?" Calleigh asked. Ryan had just told her everything about the plan of Valera as a pretend girlfriend.

"Yeah, but the original plan was just for that one evening. You know, Horatio's birthday." Ryan chuckled.

"You two are so crazy." Calleigh chuckled.

"That we are." Ryan agreed, "Hey Calleigh I want you ask you something?"

"Sure, ask away." Calleigh smiled.

"Do you think you and I could take four days of, starting on Friday?" Ryan asked.

"Sure, that's in two days right?" Calleigh asked. Ryan nodded.

"Sure, that shouldn't be a problem, what are we going to do?" She asked.

"We're going to a small cabin that I've rented. Near the beach." Ryan smiled.

"Ryan, have you got another crazy idea?" Calleigh teased.

Ryan shook his head, "I think you're going to like this idea." He smiled.

"Okay, let's ask Horatio for some days off tomorrow." Calleigh smiled, "Now let's go to bed."

**-I-**

Valera walked towards the reception of Miami Dade hospital. It was Thursday morning, the clock was only 22:30, and she was on the hunt after Dr Jason Maxton. Valera had found out from a nurse friend that Dr Maxton usually worked on the night shift.

"Hi, I'm looking for Dr Jason Maxton." Valera asked the receptionist.

"Do you have an appointment with him?" The receptionist asked.

"No, but I think he wants his shirt and underwear from yesterday evening back." Valera smiled.

"Oh, Ma'm… sorry, I didn't know. I'm sorry… I'll just page him for you." The receptionist stammered.

"Thank you." Valera smiled.

It didn't take long before Dr Jason Maxton showed up. He smiled when he saw Valera.

"Well, hello again." He smiled.

"Hi." Valera said.

"Here for another pretend examination?" Jason teased.

"No, I'm here for something else." Valera said, "I came to apologize for last time."

"There is no need to apologize." Jason smiled.

"So I didn't get you in any trouble?" Valera asked.

Jason shook his head.

"Good, then I have another question." Valera smiled.

"Shoot."

"Can I have your phone number?" Valera asked.

Jason looked at her for along time.

"You know, you are one cool girl." He said.

"Really? Why?" Valera asked.

"You're not shy, you just ask right away. I think that's impressive." Jason smiled. Valera smiled back.

"Thank you, now can I have it?" She asked.

Jason laughed and wrote down his number on a piece of paper form the reception.

Valera hugged him as he gave her the note.

Then she said goodbye and walked towards the exit.

"Wait! What about your phone number?" Jason called after her.

"You'll get it when I call you." Valera called back and left.

Jason just laughed.

Valera hurried home. It was raining outside and she was soaked once she got inside her apartment.

She decided to call Calleigh.

"Hello?" Calleigh answered on the other end.

"Hi, Cal, it's Valera. Guess what?" Valera said.

"What?" Calleigh asked, "Ryan stop it." She giggled.

"Cal, you're supposed to guess silly. And what is Ryan doing?"

"He's tickling me." Calleigh said, "I'm guessing that you got that doctors phone number."

"I see that they don't pay for you for nothing." Valera chuckled.

"Yep. Ryan I'm on the phone." Calleigh giggled, "Hey guess what Valera?"

"Ryan found a spot on your body that doesn't tickle you?" Valera asked.

"That would be a miracle. No, he and I are going on a four days trip to a cabin that he rented." Calleigh said.

Valera smiled; she knew exactly what Ryan was going to do there.

"That's seems very nice!" Valera said cheerfully.

"Yeah, it does. I think he's up to something." Calleigh chuckled, "Please don't tell me that you two are planning something crazy." She giggled.

"No, not that I know off." Valera said.

Calleigh laughed.

"Hey, it's getting late and we have work tomorrow, so why don't you say we call it a night?" Valera asked.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. Good night." Calleigh said.

"Good night." Valera said and hung up.

**-I-**

It was almost two pm when someone knocked on Eric and Horatio's front door.

Eric sleepily hurried to open it, and looked stunned at the sad person in front of him.

It was no other than his father.

"Dad." Eric greeted, "What re you doing here?"

"You're mother threw me out." Joseph said.

"Why would she do that?" Eric asked.

"Can I come in?" Joseph asked.

Eric nodded and let his father in.

"So tell me." Eric said once he had closed the door.

"I've been thinking." Joseph said, "And I love you no matter who you live with. Now I might be a little bit uncomfortable in the beginning, but I think that in time I will get used of seeing you and him together." Joseph smiled.

"Horatio. His name is Horatio." Eric said, "Yeah, well it's either accepting or loose contact with me."

"And I choose to learn to accept it." Joseph said.

"Why dad?" Eric asked, "Why am I suddenly so important? You hated me when I became a CSI; you wanted me to take over your business." Eric said.

"I know, but the older I've become and the more your very clever sister's tongue lashings that I've been given, I've understood that you shouldn't decide your child's life for them. That your child should choose whatever is best for themselves and the parents should support them no matter what." Joseph smiled.

"Is that your words or Mayas?" Eric asked. He couldn't help but to feel a little suspicious about his father.

Joseph looked a little hurt.

"Those are my words." Joseph said, "I know it will take time before you trust me. But I intend to do everything I can to make things right." Joseph said.

Eric nodded.

"Alright dad." He said, "So you need a place to sleep tonight huh?" He asked.

Joseph nodded.

"Well, the guestroom is down the hall to the left." Eric said.

"Thank you." Joseph said sincerely.

Eric smiled. He hoped with his whole heart that he and his father could become close and that all the grudge between them would disappear. He also hoped that his mother would realize the same thing that his father had done.

Eric went back to his bedroom and laid down next to a sleeping Horatio.

Horatio stirred slightly.

"Sleep H, it was only my dad." Eric said and kissed Horatio softly on the cheek.

Horatio mumbled something incoherent and then went back into sleeping.

_**TBC…**_


	7. Chapter 7

Eric woke up by the smell of coffee. And not just any coffee. Not Café Cubano. His all time favorite.

He sleepily made his way out from the bedroom to the kitchen. His father was standing by the coffee machine. Joseph loved Café Cubano just like Eric.

"Good Morning Eric." Joseph said.

Eric chuckled and sat down by the table.

"How did you know I was here?" Eric asked.

"I got a feeling that you were looking at me." Joseph smiled.

"What time is it?" Eric asked.

"Only 6:30." Joseph answered, "Too early for you to be awake."

"Not really, I have to work today. So this is a good time to wake up." Eric said.

"Where is… Horatio, yes?" Joseph asked.

Eric nodded, "Horatio. He's still asleep." He said.

"I'm bad with names." Joseph said.

"Call him H." Eric smiled, "I hope we don't get an awkward moment when he wakes up."

"Like I said last night, I may be a little bit uncomfortable in the beginning. But in time it will go away." Joseph smiled.

"Good." Horatio said from the doorway.

"Make some noise when you move." Joseph smiled, startled.

Horatio smiled, "Sorry."

"He does it all the time dad. Get used to it." Eric smiled.

Joseph laughed, "I'm Joseph Delko, Eric's father. Nice to meet you Mr Caine." Joseph said.

"Nice you meet you too, and please call me Horatio or H." Horatio said.

"That's right, H. I forget names so easily." Joseph said, "Comes with the age I guess."

The trio laughed.

"You're not that old, dad." Eric said.

"No, but I'm not young anymore either." Joseph smiled.

"So you came around huh?" Horatio asked and sat down next to Eric.

"Yes. As I said to Eric yesterday. The older you get the more you understand that you shouldn't decide your child's life for them." Joseph said, "I am willing to learn to accept your relationship."

Horatio and Eric smiled.

"That's good." Horatio said.

Joseph nodded.

"Maybe I can make you two dinner tonight. We can catch up on all the lost years." Joseph suggested.

"Yeah, that would be great." Eric and Horatio said unison.

Joseph nodded.

**-I-**

Valera walked in with a big smile to Natalia's lab.

"This would be first time you have a smile on your face at 8 in the morning." Natalia said, "Let me take a photo of this moment." She joked.

"Well, I might start getting a smile on my face more often now." Valera said.

"Is it from having a food fight with Raquel, that by the way everybody knows about now?" Natalia asked, "We are so proud of you." She smiled.

Valera laughed.

"No, I got a date with Jason Maxton." Valera smiled.

"Really? You do?" Natalia asked, "That's the doctor right?"

Valera nodded, "Yep. I called him this morning and we're going out to eat tonight."

"I'm so happy for you Valera. It's really great!" Natalia smiled.

"Thank you. I think this can work our pretty good." Valera said.

"I do too." Natalia smiled.

"So I was wondering, since you and Eric's sister constantly gossip with each other." Valera smiled, "Have you heard anything about their parents? Weren't Maya and Trish going to give them a tongue lashing they would never forget?" Valera asked.

"Yes, and they did." Natalia smiled, "Maya talked to their father, and they think he's coming around. Their mother however." Natalia said, "She's hard as a rock and refuses to budge."

"She's is such a…"

"Valera, calm down." Natalia interrupted, "She's not here right now, so there's no need to get mad." She smiled.

Valera chuckled.

"I know. But she's going to regret everything later." Valera said.

Natalia nodded, "Well, then that's her problem."

"Well, look which two just showed up. And they have big smiles on their faces." Valera said and pointed at the entrance.

"Yeah, Ryan and Calleigh." Natalia said, "They always smile."

"They're here too?" Valera asked, "´Cause I was talking about H and Eric."

"I don't see them." Natalia said.

"They're behind Ryan and Calleigh."

"Oh there, yeah, they're smiling. Why is that strange? They always smile too don't they?" Natalia asked.

"No Nat. Not like this." Valera said, "Something good has happened to them."

"Maybe H proposed?" Natalia shrieked.

"No. But I think Ryan's going to do that soon." Valera said, "Something else is up with H and Eric."

"You think Ryan is going to propose?" Natalia asked.

"Yeah, he's been thinking about it." Valera smiled.

"Calleigh is going to be so happy." Natalia smiled, "But why don't you just ask Eric and H why they are so happy?"

"Nah, they'll say it when the time is right." Valera said, "But I might do a little snooping around." She chuckled, "See ya later Nat."

"See ya."

Valera left Natalia's lab and almost ran towards Eric, H, Ryan and Calleigh.

"Are you alright?" Valera asked.

"Good morning Valera and yes we're alright, why?" Eric smiled.

"Just asking ya know." Valera said innocently.

The others laughed.

"Hey, H can Ryan and I take four days off, starting tomorrow?" Calleigh asked.

"Yeah, no problem." Horatio said, "But you don't have to take the weekend off. We don't work then anyway." He said.

"Well, we just thought we'd to it anyway. So that we don't have to get called in." Ryan said.

"Alright." Horatio said.

"Thank you." Calleigh and Ryan said.

Horatio disappeared into his office, Eric and Calleigh disappeared into their labs. Ryan was left standing alone with Valera.

"What?" Ryan asked as Valera looked at him, smiling.

"So why are you and Calleigh taking four days off?" Valera asked.

"Meet me for lunch today and I'll tell you." Ryan said, "And bring Alexx and Natalia with you as well." He said and left Valera alone.

Once Ryan had disappeared behind a corner, Valera shrieked off joy.

**-I-**

They day had gone by slow, but it had been one murder case for the team.

That's why Horatio was at the moment down in the morgue with Alexx.

"What can you tell me Alexx?" Horatio asked.

"Well, this young girl died from a stab injury to the neck. She bleed out." Alexx said.

Horatio nodded.

"Anything else?" He asked.

"Well, a bunch of trace. I sent it to the lab." Alexx said, "Now, can you tell me why you are so happy after the whole Eric's parents thing?" She asked.

Horatio sighed, nothing went past Alexx.

"Well, his father has come around. He's staying with us at the moment." Horatio said.

"Wow, that's fast." Alexx said.

"His wife threw him out." Horatio said.

"Raquel Delko has really turned mad hasn't she?" Alexx asked.

"A little bit maybe." Horatio said.

"How's Eric taking all of this?" Alexx asked."Well, he is sad about his mother. But happy about his father, though still a little bit suspicious about if his father's intentions are good or bad." Horatio said.

"And what about you?" Alexx asked.

"If Eric is happy, then I'm happy." Horatio answered.

"Yeah, but you do have feeling on your own as well, so answer the question again."

Horatio stayed quiet for a while.

"Well…" He said after a while, "I've never met his parents before, and I didn't miss that part before. But now that I've met his father, I know that he is a person that I would like to know better." Horatio said, "His mother I'm still not sure about. If she doesn't change her mind, then there is nothing we can do."

Alexx nodded.

"I've met Joseph Delko a few times before, and he is a sweet and caring man." Alexx said, "He just has a weird way of showing it sometimes." Alexx said, "And you're never too old to learn something new."

Horatio nodded and smiled.

"And you're not feeling strange since the explosion?" Alexx asked.

Horatio shook his head.

"Good." Alexx smiled.

**-I-**

As the night came Joseph made dinner and he, Eric and Horatio were now sitting around their dinner table. Enjoying Paella. Horatio and Eric's favorite dish.

"I was thinking about the explosion." Joseph said, "Does it happen a lot?" He asked.

"No. But there is always a risk; however it doesn't happen very often." Horatio said.

"Good. Do all of you carry guns?" Joseph asked.

Horatio nodded.

"And how did you pass that test?" He joked with Eric.

Eric laughed. Horatio looked confused at the father and son.

"Eric was always afraid of guns as a child." Joseph explained to Horatio, "He said that he always wanted to swim in waters with sharks in it. But he got nightmares if he saw a gun." Joseph chuckled.

"How did it go away? ´Cause I don't remember Eric ever being afraid." Horatio asked.

"Well, Trish found out that I was transferring to CSI. So she forced me to watch thirty action movies with guns all the time." Eric said, "Until I wasn't scared anymore."

"And it must have worked." Horatio smiled.

"It did." Joseph said, "And today it's hard to imagine Eric being afraid of a gun. ´Cause now he loves them." Joseph smiled.

"Well, I have to agree with Calleigh. Guns do have a certain grace and charm." Eric chuckled.

"What about you Horatio, were you afraid of guns?" Joseph asked.

"Not that I can remember." Horatio said.

"Did anything freak you out as a rookie cop?" Eric asked.

"Yes, the autopsies." Horatio smiled.

"You didn't have a strong stomach did you?" Joseph smiled.

"No, not in the beginning. I think that it took me seven autopsies before I learned to just look at a dead body." Horatio chuckled, "My boss forced me to participate in the autopsy."

"He did that?!" Eric exclaimed, "Isn't that a bit too harsh?"

"No, back then it wasn't. He said it was the only way." Horatio smiled.

"And it seems as if though it worked." Joseph said.

Horatio nodded.

"Since we're talking about fears. I'm wondering what you're afraid of dad." Eric said.

"For starters, your sisters." Joseph joked and the trio laughed.

"But my real phobia is the cold." Joseph said, "It's something I've been afraid of my whole life. And I am not talking about winter like in America. I'm talking really cold, so cold that you would freeze to death if you didn't wear four layers of clothes." Joseph said.

"Wow." Eric said.

"Is that from your childhood?" Horatio asked.

Joseph smiled.

"Yes, I grew up in Russia." Joseph said, "And the winters there are very cold. I saw my grandfather and many other people freeze to death." Joseph said.

"Yeah, I think you told me about that sometime." Eric said.

"Yes. Where I lived people were poor and the winters always killed someone." Joseph said.

The trio went quiet for a while.

"Let's talk about something more fun, yes?" Joseph asked.

Horatio and Eric nodded.

"Tell me about Eric as a child, was he accident prone?" Horatio asked.

"No, actually not. His sister Trish was." Joseph said.

"Trish? No, no way." Eric said, "She's like so careful and gentle."

"Yeah, well she learned from having many trips to the hospital. Broken arms, legs, ribs, concussions and so on." Joseph smiled, "she had such energy as a kid."

"Eric had energy, but he stayed out of dangerous things." Joseph smiled.

"Instead I dreamed of becoming a Casanova diver." Eric chuckled.

The trio laughed.

"But I don't regret becoming a CSI." Eric smiled, "Or meeting H."

"What about you Horatio?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah, I hurt myself sometimes." Horatio said.

Both Eric and Horatio knew that it was Horatio's father that was responsible for all of Horatio's trips to the hospital. But it was too soon to tell Joseph about that.

"I actually twisted my back in a cross bike accident once." Horatio chuckled.

Even Eric didn't know about that.

"How did that happen?" Eric asked.

"It was a tricky road and I was still a beginner. So I turned my bike to fast and landed on the ground a weird way." Horatio said, "With the bike over me."

"How old were you?" Joseph asked.

"Thirteen, and I've never driven a cross bike since then." Horatio chuckled.

The night went on with a lot of talking about everything that popped up the men's heads.

As the clock struck midnight Joseph was asleep in the guest room and Eric and Horatio was entwined in each other.

"That was a success." Eric smiled.

Horatio nodded.

"What are we going to do this weekend then?" Horatio asked.

"How about we stay in bed the whole weekend and just cuddle?" Eric smiled.

"I like the sound of that, but there is one thing that we have to go to." Horatio said.

"What is that?" Eric asked.

"We have to go to Natalia's party. " Horatio said.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Eric smiled, "But that means that Calleigh and Ryan are going to miss it?"

"Yeah, and whatever it is that Ryan has planned. It's something that only Alexx, Valera and Nat who knows about it." Horatio said, "Therefore Natalia probably doesn't mind that they miss the party."

"Ryan had planned something?" Eric asked.

"Yes, I saw Ryan, Alexx, Valera and Nat having lunch together today." Horatio smiled.

"Without Calleigh?" Eric asked.

Horatio nodded.

"Well, I guess we'll find out after the weekend." Eric smiled.

_**TBC…**_

**AN: Hope you liked this chapter, more coming soon! Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Friday had gone by fast and it was now Saturday evening. Ryan and Calleigh were at the beach. The beach was the backyard of the cabin that they had rented.

"I just remembered something Ryan." Calleigh said.

"Natalia's party?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, exactly. Now we're going to miss it." She said.

"It's okay. I talked to Natalia and told her that this was important." Ryan said, "She said that it was no problem and that there would be time for more parties later." He smiled.

"Important huh?" Calleigh smiled, "I mean, of course it is. But I think that you, Ryan Wolfe with the cute butt, has planned something." She smiled and kissed him softly.

"Maybe." Ryan smiled, "Let's get something to eat shall we?"

Calleigh smiled and nodded.

**-I-**

Natalia's house was filled with people from the lab and some people from homicide.

Natalia had made a buffet, so everybody was walking around; eating, talking and drinking.

Frank was sitting next to Alexx in the couch.

"Why are you grinning?" Frank asked.

"Because something good is going to happen tonight." Alexx grinned.

"How do you know that?" Frank asked.

"I just know." Alexx smiled.

"It's not some sort of voodoo stuff right?" Frank asked.

"Don't people use that to hurt to someone?" Alexx asked.

Frank nodded.

"And you think someone wants to hurt you?" Alexx grinned.

"Not that I know off." Frank said.

"Then why are you so worried?" Alexx asked.

"I always am." Frank grinned.

**--**

Across the room, Valera was small talking with Natalia and Jason Maxton.

"What is this? Your second date?" Natalia asked.

Valera nodded.

"You're moving fast." Natalia grinned.

"It's important to meet the friends and family." Valera smiled.

"Have you taken him to your parents already?" Natalia asked.

"No silly. I don't want to scare the shit out of him." Valera smiled.

Natalia chuckled and left the couple alone.

"What about your parents?" Jason asked."Oh you don't want to meet them." Valera grinned.

"Are they bad?" Jason asked.

"No they are the nicest people on earth." Valera smiled, "It's just that I've never meet anyone who has been able to meet them more than once. Except me of course." She said.

"Why?" Jason asked.

"Because my mother is a sex therapist and has all sorts of toys in the house. My father is paralyzed from the waist down, but he drives around with his wheelchair as he was competing in a car race." Valera said.

"That doesn't sound so bad." Jason smiled.

"My mother will ask us to participate in one or several of her sessions. My father will force you to race against him in his guest wheelchair." Valera said, "It may not sound bad, it's just that most people find them scary and overwhelming."

Jason shrugged, "I want to meet them."

Valera chuckled.

**--**

Out on the beach Horatio and Eric, who had been drinking a little were sitting and kissing. They had not been drinking enough to be wasted, but enough to feel slightly dizzy.

Their feet were slightly touching the water.

"Let's go swimming." Eric smiled and stood up.

He took his shirt off and ran into the water.

"Your pants are getting wet." Horatio chuckled.

"It doesn't matter, come and join me." Eric smiled.

Horatio did the same as Eric and soon they were splashing water at each other.

They soon started kissing and fell down on the beach, close to the waves.

Horatio pressed his hips down and felt Eric's arousal.

"We have to be quiet so no one will hear us." Horatio whispered.

"Whatever H, bring it on." Eric smiled and kissed Horatio hungrily.

Eric started working on trying to get Horatio's pants off him, while Horatio kissed Eric on spots that drove him crazy.

"Jesus, can't you two wait!" Frank's voice startled the couple. They could hear the amusement in Frank's voice. Horatio and Eric were in a compromising position, and Frank was laughing his butt off.

"What are you doing here Frank?" Horatio asked.

"I came out here to take a leak. I didn't expect to find you two lovebirds on the beach as well." Frank chuckled.

"Natalia has a toilet you know." Eric said.

"It was occupied." Frank said.

Frank walked away from the couple to do his business. Once he was done, he returned.

"I hope I didn't completely ruined you moment." Frank chuckled and left.

"That was embarrassing." Eric grinned once Frank was out of sight.

"Yeah, but don't let it stop us." Horatio smiled and kissed Eric.

Frank laughed all the way back to the house. He bumped into Alexx.

"What's so funny Frank?" Alexx asked, "Have you seen Horatio and Eric?"

"Don't go down to the beach Alexx." Frank chuckled.

Alexx looked confused for a moment, and then she chuckled.

"Oh I get it." Alexx smiled.

"I've never seen H so red in his face." Frank smiled.

**-I-**

Calleigh and Ryan sat at the porch. They had just eaten a fabulous dinner that Ryan had made.

"Ryan that was amazing." Calleigh smiled.

"Thank you." Ryan smiled.

"Is it time for my surprise yet?" Calleigh asked.

"Well, first I have to say some things." Ryan said and cleared his throat.

"Calleigh, the surprise is a proof of how much I really love you. And that you are the most important person in the world for me." Ryan smiled.

"Aww, Ryan. You're going to make me cry." Calleigh smiled.

"I don't mind." He chuckled, "Calleigh, every time I kiss you, hug you or simply touch you my heart skips a beat. And when my heart skips a beat it tells me how much you mean to me and that it is true love." Ryan said and took out a small box from his pocket as he lowered himself down on one knee. Calleigh gasped and tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"Calleigh Theresa Duquesne." Ryan smiled, "Will you marry me?"

_**TBC…**_

**AN: What will she answer? Lol, you will know in the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

Calleigh stared at Ryan. If it was a dream she didn't want it to end.

"Calleigh?" Ryan asked. He suddenly started feeling nervous. Maybe he had asked to soon.

"Oh my god Ryan!" Calleigh shrieked, "I love you!" She threw herself into his arms and gave him a big kiss.

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Of course I will marry you." She smiled. Ryan chuckled and kissed her.

For a moment he had thought that he had just made a complete fool of himself. However, in the moment that she said "Oh my God Ryan"he knew that he be planning a wedding.

Calleigh continued to cry.

"Calleigh honey, you're not sad are you?" Ryan asked.

"No, it's happy tears." She smiled, "I'm sorry happy."

"So am I baby." Ryan smiled and kissed her again.

"Tell me this isn't a dream." Calleigh said.

"I can't do that." Ryan said.

Calleigh looked confused at him.

"This is a dream Cal. A dream that will never end. I have a dram girl, a dream job, and a dream life. And without you this would be a nightmare." Ryan smiled.

Calleigh kissed him hard.

Ryan put the rings on her finger; it had a golden band with a green diamond in the middle. It was the exact same green color as her eyes.

"Oh Ryan, it's beautiful." Calleigh smiled.

"Just like you." He smiled, "I got a little help from Alexx, Nat and Valera to pick it out. But now we have to go ´cause I've got one more surprise for you."

"Oh Ryan." Calleigh smiled.

Ryan took her hand and led her towards the car.

"Where are we going?" Calleigh asked as Ryan started the car and drove away form the cabin.

"It's a surprise Calleigh." Ryan smiled.

It didn't take long before Ryan stopped.

"Put this blindfold on." He said.

Calleigh put it on and was then led out to the car by Ryan.

She had no idea where they were walking but she could hear a door open and she felt the smell of chlorine.

She could hear something splashing in water.

Calleigh gasped when Ryan removed the blindfold.

She was standing on the edge of a pool, and in the pool was her favorite animal. Dolphins!

Calleigh shrieked and kissed Ryan all over his face.

"I know you love dolphins Cal." Ryan said.

There was another person there who gave the couple swimsuits and told them to jump into the pool once they had changed.

Calleigh was the first one in and the other person, who must have been the dolphin trainer, because he made small sounds, which brought the dolphins closer to Calleigh.

Ryan soon joined his future bride and the two swum with the dolphins all night long.

**-I-**

On Tuesday morning, Calleigh and Ryan were back at the lab.

Everybody in the lab quickly surrounded them.

Everybody wanted to congratulate them and look at Calleigh's ring.

"Let me see it girl." Alexx said, "Excuse ME coming through." Alexx moved through the crowd of CSI's and lab techs.

"Well, it looks better on you than it did in the jewelry store." Alexx chuckled and hugged Calleigh.

"Tell us about the proposal." Valera said and all the girls dragged Calleigh away while she told how Ryan had proposed.

The men were left alone with Ryan.

"So Mr Wolfe, are you ready for marriage then?" Horatio asked.

"I sure am H." Ryan said.

"Did I just hear Calleigh say something about dolphins?" Eric asked.

"Yes, I took her to a place that a friend on mine own. There are six dolphins there and we all know how crazy Calleigh is about dolphins." Ryan smiled.

"When will you start planning then?" Frank asked.

"Next week I think. We're just going to tell our parents first." Ryan said.

A few feet away Calleigh talked with Alexx, Valera, Nat and some other lab techs about some things that she wanted her wedding to be like.

"I want it to be on a gun range." Calleigh said.

The girls laughed.

"And you think Ryan will approve?" Valera asked.

"He better or I'll shoot him." Calleigh joked.

"What about guests then?" Alexx asked, "Many or few?"

"Only the closest." Calleigh smiled, "Which would be all you people and then my parents and Ryan's parents." Calleigh smiled, "And of course Delko's sisters."

"Yea, have you told them, ´cause you know you shouldn't do it over the phone with Maya." Natalia said, "She'll make you deaf."

They all laughed.

"No, I'm having a girl dinner tonight, and you are all welcome of course. Then I'll tell them." Calleigh smiled.

"We'll be there." Alexx said.

"Great! It's around seven at my house." Calleigh said.

**--**

Ryan had just told the guys that Calleigh was having dinner with the girls.

"And you need someplace hang out during that?" Eric asked.

Ryan nodded.

"Why don't we have a guy's dinner?" Frank said, "Poker, beer, strippers." He smiled.

"Poker sound great, and bear. But not strippers." Ryan said.

"Great, how about at mine and Horatio's place at six thirty?" Eric asked.

"Sound good." Ryan said.

"By the way, my father might join us, is that cool?" Eric asked.

"Sure! I'll kick his ass in poker." Frank said.

"Frank you always loose in poker." Horatio said.

"I do not!" Frank said, "You shuffle the card in the wrong way."

Eric and Ryan backed away and let Frank and Horatio bicker about who was the best in poker.

They always argued about that, since none of them wanted to confess that one of them was better than the other.

**-I-**

Frank, Horatio, Eric, Ryan and Joseph were seated around a table on the back porch of Eric and Horatio's house.

It was nine pm and they were all focused in playing poker and drinking a few beers.

"These are shit cards." Frank said.

"And it's not my fault this time, ´cause I didn't shuffle the cards." Horatio said.

"It still is your fault." Frank said, "You have like an aura that destroys my good game."

"What good game?" Horatio teased.

"Watch it carrot top, things might get dangerous." Frank said.

Horatio chuckled.

"Do you two always bicker about poker?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah, because Horatio cheats." Frank said.

"I don't cheat." Horatio said, "But Frank never get the good cards."

"Or he doesn't know how to play." Joseph said.

The guys burst into laughter. Frank glared at Joseph.

"I think that's the problem." Ryan said, "Frank needs to learn how to play."

"I know how to play. I used to win all the time when I played against my ex-wife." Frank said.

"Yeah, well that's only because she's worse than you." Eric said.

"You never won; you just didn't come in last place." Horatio chuckled.

"At least I can drink a lot of beer." Frank said.

"Without getting drunk?" Ryan said.

"Kind of. I have to drink at least eight beers before you notice that I'm slightly under the influence. But it takes a lot of alcohol to make me so wasted that I can't stand." Frank smiled, "So if we had a beer drinking competition, little carrot top over there would come in last place."

"Really? I thought H would have no problem drinking a lot of alcohol." Ryan said.

Frank laughed.

"Horatio? No, no. He's a sissy when it comes to that." Frank chuckled.

"Yeah, well it's better to be good a poker. That way I can win money." Horatio said.

Throughout the night, the guys played and laughed.

**--**

Valera, Alexx, Nat, Calleigh and the Delko sisters sat in Calleigh and Ryan's living room.

Calleigh had just told them about how Ryan proposed and where she wanted to have her wedding.

"I always like it when people do something a little bit different." Trish said.

"Which reminds me of something. Calleigh wound you mind letting Nat, Maya and I take care of the cake?" Valera asked.

"You got some ideas don't you?" Calleigh asked.

"Oh yeah, and you're going to love it." Valera smiled.

"Then the cake is all yours to fix." Calleigh smiled.

"What are the boys doing now?" Alexx asked.

"Playing poker and drinking beer." Calleigh said, "And if Frank has it his way he will call for strippers." She chuckled.

"Does he have them on speed- dial?" Valera joked.

The girls laughed.

"Oh come on, Frank's got to meet some woman somehow. He has forgotten how to flirt." Maya chuckled.

"How would you know anything about that?" Trish asked.

"I happen to go the same bar as he sometimes. And he uses these pick up lines." Maya laughed.

"Maybe you should teach him how to flirt Valera." Calleigh smiled.

"Only I can do it in the Valera way." Valera grinned.

"And how is the Valera way?" Trish asked.

"If you find someone you like never stop asking for a date." Valera said, "And make sure to show the guy that you're the boss from the beginning." She smiled.

"In other words, scare the crap out of him from the start but try not to make him run for the hills." Alexx chuckled.

Laughter erupted from the girls and Valera gave Alexx a pretend death glare.

"Seriously though, Calleigh how did you and Ryan get together?" Trish asked.

"Yeah, I don't think you've ever told us that." Valera smiled.

"Alright, well it was during a homicide case. Our victim was found in a swimming pool." Calleigh smiled at the memory, "And me, clumsy as I am sometimes, slipper on the edge of the pool and fell in." She chuckled.

"And then Ryan thought I was drowning, so he jumped in to save me." Calleigh said, "But he soon realized that I had already gotten out of the water."

The girls laughed.

"Let me guess, you tried to help him up and he pulled you in?" Maya said.

"Not really. When I was going to help him up, I slipped again and fell in." Calleigh laughed.

"And then you started making out in the water, right?" Valera asked.

"First I asked him why he jumped into the water and he said he thought I was drowning. So I gave him a thank you kiss." Calleigh grinned.

"But they forgot how to stop kissing." Alexx grinned.

"So you made you in a pool? With cops all around you?" Valera asked.

Calleigh nodded, "About ten minutes later we realized what we were doing." She chuckled.

"And now you're getting married!" Trish squealed.

"Who do you think Ryan will choose as his best men?" Valera asked.

"Valera, we haven't started planning anything yet." Calleigh chuckled.

"But if you had to guess." Maya said.

"Well, I think he's chose all three of the guys. H, Eric and Frank." Calleigh said.

"Does that mea you will choose three as well?" Trish asked.

"Yes, if he does I do too. But girls, do get sad if it's not you, okay?" Calleigh said.

"Of course not Calleigh, as long as we are invited to the wedding." Alexx smiled.

"Well hell yes!" Calleigh laughed.

**--**

"Frank for god's sake!" Horatio said, "You don't have any good cars so just give up."

"No, way I have the highest card I have ever had so far." Frank said.

"What is that, a four maybe?" Eric joked.

"No, it's much higher than that." Frank said.

"So at nine then?" Joseph asked.

"Ryan you've been very quiet for a while now, are you alright?" Horatio asked.

Ryan nodded, "Just nervous I guess." He said.

"Nervous? You haven't even started planning!" Frank exclaimed.

"I'm still nervous." Ryan said.

"I think that you're nervous because you're wondering if you made the right decision." Joseph said.

"Spot on." Eric said, "I can see it in your eyes Ryan."

"Really?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, whatever emotion you have it shows in your face." Eric said.

"That's why it happens to be a miracle that you're better than me in poker." Frank said.

"Because I don't have a poker face?" Ryan asked.

Frank nodded.

"Ryan, what does you heart tell you?" Joseph asked.

"That I did the right thing." Ryan said.

"Then don't doubt it." Joseph said, "If the heart is happy the soul is happy." Joseph smiled, "Or the opposite if you like. Either way, the heart and soul are always right."

Ryan nodded and smiled.

"Marriage is good for you." Frank said.

"Is that why you are divorced?" Ryan joked.

"No, I am divorced, because…"

"You're ex-wife ´suddenly managed to beat you once in poker and then Frank couldn't take it anymore." Horatio joked.

"Yeah, sure that's true alright." Frank said, "Not!"

"Oh shit Frank." Eric said, "Saying stuff like that does not suit you."

"What stuff?" Frank asked.

"Well you know: "Yeah sure… Not!"." Eric grinned.

"Yeah, but when you have three teenage daughters you pick up on things." Frank grinned.

The guys laughed.

At around midnight, Frank and Ryan were one their way to leave.

"So Frank how much money did you loose?" Eric asked.

"Shut up Eric." Frank said, "18 dollars." He said after a while.

"That's not much." Ryan said.

"It is if you're Frank Tripp." Eric grinned.

"Since he always looses." Horatio said.

"One day Horatio, I'm going to win." Frank grinned, "And you'll be the one loosing money."

"Frank don't hope too much." Horatio joked and then hugged his friend goodbye.

Ryan and Frank walked towards their cars that were parked down the street.

"Are you sure the girls have left the house?" Frank asked Ryan.

"Yeah, sure why?" Ryan asked.

"Because woman hate when their partied gets interrupted." Frank said.

Ryan chuckled.

"Goodnight Frank." Ryan said.

"Are you even old enough to drive?" Frank asked.

"Yes." Ryan said, "In fact I'm probably a better driver than you." He smirked.

Frank laughed.

"Oh please Ryan, don't say things like that. I almost laugh myself to death when you do." Frank joked.

"Very funny Frank." Ryan snorted.

"Seriously though, I've seen how you drive." Frank said.

"And how is that?" Ryan asked.

"Like a girl." Frank said.

"Oh so I drive just like you then?" Ryan joked, "IS it something you picked up from your daughters?"

Frank glared at Ryan.

"You are one fast little guy, you know." Frank said, "I must be getting old or something."

"I agree." Ryan laughed.

"Goodnight Ryan, I'll get you one day." Frank said and unlocked his car.

"Night Frank."

**TBC…**


	10. Chapter 10

Three weeks went by and things were almost perfect. The only things that still bothered everybody, or especially Eric and Horatio was Raquel. It seemed as if she had chosen not to accept her son for who he was. And she no longer had any contact with any of her kids.

Joseph still lived with Eric and Horatio. He could of course afford to buy an apartment for himself, but he enjoyed staying with Eric and Horatio, and they enjoyed having him there.

However, he knew that he would have to move eventually. He did not want to burden them and they needed some time alone every occasionally.

It was now a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Eric and Joseph were sitting on the back porch watching Horatio kick soccer with Frank youngest daughter Madeline.

Madeline used to come over sometimes to hang out with H and Eric. She was the only one in her family and friends that loved soccer. Once she found out that Horatio was a big soccer fan as well, she came to their house to play with him. Sometimes Eric would join them. Bu not today.

"How old is she?" Joseph asked nodding towards Madeline.

"14, but her 15th birthday is coming up next week." Eric said.

"She's winning over Horatio." Joseph grinned.

Eric chuckled.

"Yeah, she usually does. H used to play soccer when he was young, but the older he gets the worse he gets." Eric grinned, "At least he says so. But I don't agree."

"So has Ryan chosen a best man yet?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah, but he's going to say who it is on Monday." Eric said, "But I have a feeling that it's H." He smiled.

"Any particular reason?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah, H is like a father figure or very close uncle to Ryan." Eric said, "H has also stood up for Ryan and helped him many times, and Ryan's always said that he doesn't know how to repay him."

"Yeah, Horatio does seem to put other people's safety and well being first." Joseph smiled.

"Yeah, he does." Eric smiled.

Eric and Joseph sat quiet for a while. Still watching Madeline kick Horatio's ass. She tackled him and splashed water at him sometimes.

"Eric, I'm going to divorce you mother." Joseph said after a while.

Eric looked with wide eyes at his father. He had never expected it. He knew that Joseph and Raquel were different, but he though that his father's love for his mother was way too strong for Joseph to ever leave her.

"I can't live with her anymore." Joseph said.

"Why?" Eric asked.

"Well for starters we are very different." Joseph said, "And as you may have noticed by now it doesn't seem as is she's ever going to accept you and Horatio."

Eric nodded.

"Yeah, but you love her don't you?" He asked.

"Oh yes, absolutely." Joseph said, "But she called me yesterday. On my cell." He said, "She said that she wanted me to come back home. And I had to choose between her and you kids."

"You chose us." Eric smiled.

"Of course." Joseph said, "I've never had this good contact with any of you before, and I am not about to loose that." He said seriously.

Eric nodded.

"I'm glad to hear that you chose us dad, even though a divorce is always a sad thing." Eric said.

"Yeah, but sometimes it's necessary." Joseph said.

Horatio ran towards Eric and Joseph. He was out of breath but grinning.

"She's killing isn't she?" Eric grinned.

"Yeah, she's dangerous." Horatio chuckled.

Madeline soon joined the men.

"Already giving up uncle Horatio?" She grinned.

"Never, but I'm older than you and I need to rest a little bit." Horatio smiled.

Madeline laughed.

"By the way dad is home all grumpy today. You didn't happen to kick his ass in poker last night did you? Again." Madeline grinned.

The men laughed.

"I sure did." Horatio said.

"Frank also thought he could beat my father in poker." Eric smiled.

"Just because I'm old he thought he could win over me." Joseph said.

"Yeah, he never learns." Madeline grinned, "Come on uncle Horatio, let's play some more." Madeline said and pulled Horatio towards the beach and their little soccer field.

**-I-**

"A gun range?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, I have checked with the PD and we have permission to wed at the gun range." Calleigh smiled.

"That's unusual. To wed at a gun range I mean." Ryan said.

"I know, but that's what makes it's so fun." Calleigh smiled," It's fun to do something different sometimes Ryan."

Ryan smiled.

"I know." He said,"Alright, we shall get married at a gun range."

Calleigh shrieked and hugged her husband to be.

"Have you chosen a best man yet?" Calleigh said," Or will you have several?"

"I'm thinking about having two." Ryan said.

"Good, then I'll have to brides maids then." Calleigh smiled.

"Cal, we haven't decided a date yet." Ryan said.

"I knew we had forgotten something!" Calleigh giggled.

"Well what do you think about the 5th July?" Ryan asked.

"That's in four weeks right?" Calleigh asked, Ryan nodded.

"That sounds great!" She smiled," We have to get a priest." She said.

"My uncle said he'd be willing to wed us." Ryan smiled.

"Uncle Thomas?" Calleigh asked.

"Yeah." Ryan said.

"Good, I like him." Calleigh said.

Ryan was glad that Calleigh liked his uncle. Especially since Cal and his mother had some trouble getting along sometimes. They didn't hate each other. They just didn't understand each other, so sometimes they argued because of a silly misunderstanding.

"Is you family coming Calleigh?" Ryan asked. He knew it was a subject she rather not talk about.

"My father is, but I'm not sure about my mother." She sighed.

"I'm sorry." Ryan said.

"Don't Ryan. It's her choice to drink instead of coming to our wedding." Calleigh said," She's disappointed me so many times now. Maybe it's for the best if she doesn't come." She said.

"I know you don't think that Cal." Ryan said.

"For our sake and all the guests, I think it is for the best. Even though another part of me wants her to come." Calleigh said, "I just hope that my father don't get drunk."

"If he starts to drink too much on our special day. I'll make sure that he leaves." Ryan said.

"Thank you Ryan." Calleigh smiled and kissed him.

Ryan held her close.

**-I-**

It was quite late in the evening and Eric was in the kitchen, helping Madeline with a school project. Madeline was going to make a power point presentation about water and some sea animals. And Eric happened to be quite the expert in that area.

Horatio was on the phone with Frank. Madeline wanted to stay the night at Eric and Horatio's. So H made a call to Frank to make sure it was okay.

"Of course it's okay H. Just don't teach her stuff that she shouldn't know about." Frank said on the other end of the phone.

"Such as?" Horatio asked.

"About CSI stuff and so on. You know that she's dying for Alexx to show her the morgue. She wants to know all sorts of gross stuff that we see almost everyday." Frank said.

"She has that from you." Horatio chuckled.

"I might have been very interested and almost overexcited when I started working in homicide. But she's taking it to a whole different level." Frank snorted.

"Don't worry Frank. Me and Eric will just sit up all night with her and watch horror movies." Horatio said.

"Which is another thing that freaks me out." Frank said.

"Watching horror movies? Surely Frank you're not spooked by horror movies?" Horatio teased.

"No, but Madeline thinks everything is cool when it comes to horror movies. She laughs her butt off if someone gets their head cut off." Frank said.

"Frank, I think that the reason you and I might not laugh at that is because we happen to work with such cases. She's a teenager and interested in all sorts of stuff right now." Horatio said, "It's not like she's going to copy the things she sees."

"No thank god for that. I am so glad that I have a daughter that is a member in anti crime clubs." Frank chuckled.

"She told me you were grumpy this morning." Horatio said, "Because you lost yesterday."

"I might have been grieving the loss of my money and been a little annoyed for loosing. But I'm not grumpy." Frank said.

"Right. Frank whenever you want to admit to someone that you simply suck at poker. I'm here for you." Horatio teased.

Frank laughed.

"This is one Texan that you can never get to admit anything." Frank chuckled.

"We'll se about that." Horatio said.

"Sure. Alright, Madeline has soccer practice tomorrow though, so I'll come and pick her up around nine." Frank said.

"Alright." Horatio said, "She kicked my ass in soccer today."

"As usual then." Frank chuckled.

"She's really good." Horatio said.

"I know, I'm proud of her." Frank said, "I don't from who she got that big soccer interest, but I'm glad that she plays it."

"Yeah rather than football." Horatio said.

"Hell yes, if she was on a football field she'd get knocked down immediately." Frank said, "She's too small."

"I'm sure she'd be though enough to play football as well." Horatio said.

"Yeah, being small can be good too." Frank said, "But she has a less risk of getting injured on the soccer field."

"That's true. I have to go know Frank. I'll see you tomorrow at nine." Horatio said.

"Bye, and don't destroy my daughter." Frank said and hung up.

Horatio chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Eric asked.

"Oh wait, I know!" Madeline exclaimed, "Dad told you not to destroy me." She grinned.

"Yeah, exactly. He told me about your fascination of our job and how you laugh your butt off when you watch horror movies." Horatio smiled.

"Yeah, well it's funny. And it's only a movie." Madeline said, "As for your jobs. One day I will manage to see the morgue." She smirked.

Eric and Horatio laughed.

"Hey, where is your father Uncle Eric?" Madeline asked.

"He's out at the moment." Eric said, "You can sleep in the guest bedroom tonight." He said.

"Then where will you father sleep?" Madeline asked.

"On the couch." Eric said.

"That's mean Eric; you can't let that old man sleep in the couch." Madeline said, "One of you should. Or I can do it."

"He suggested it himself." Eric said, "But don't worry. It's a sofa bed."

"Oh, why didn't you just say that from the beginning." Madeline said.

Eric and Horatio chuckled.

"Do you have any horror movies at home?" Madeline asked.

"Yeah, Eric has big collection of horror movies." Horatio smiled.

Madeline nodded and almost ran into the living room.

Eric sighed.

"She's a handful. Poor Frank and his ex-wife." Eric smiled.

"Yeah, she never seems to get tired. But you have to admit that you love her energy." Horatio smiled.

"Oh yes, no doubt about that." Eric said.

"Hey, Uncle Eric and Horatio, can we watch _The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The beginning_?" Madeline asked from the living room.

"Are you sure?" Eric asked.

"yeah, don't worry. The first movie with blood and death in it that I saw was Vampires, when I saw 10." Madeline answered from the living room.

"Who showed you that movie?" Horatio asked.

"Uncle Tim." Madeline said.

"I knew Tim let her watch horror movies." Eric smirked, "She always got what she wanted when he babysat her."

Horatio chuckled.

"So how about it?" Madeline asked.

"Sure kiddo, we can watch that." Eric said.

Horatio and Eric went into the living room, watching Madeline putting the disc in the DVD.

The three of them sat down in the couch.

"If you get scared you can always hold each others hands." Madeline teased.

"We don't get scared." Eric said.

"What if it's a gun in the movie then Eric." Horatio teased and received a slap on the arm from Eric.

"I'm not afraid of guns anymore." He said.

Horatio kissed him.

**-I-**

Joseph had been out with a few friends at a bar. It was now almost midnight and he was on his way back to his son's house.

"Joseph?" He heard a female voice ask from behind him.

He turned around and saw his wife. Soon to be ex-wife.

"Hello Raquel." He greeted her somewhat stiffly.

"Where are you going?" Raquel asked.

"That's none of your business anymore." Joseph said.

"You're going to _him _aren't you?" Raquel asked.

"If you are referring to Eric as _him, _then yes, that's where I'm going." Joseph said.

"Do you even miss me?" Raquel asked.

"No, not anymore." Joseph said.

"You will one day." She said.

"If that day ever comes, all I have to do is think back to these last few weeks and I will remember why I left you." Joseph said.

"You're an idiot Joseph!" Raquel growled.

"I learned from you." Joseph said.

"Learned from me? You must have picked up idiotic things from your daughters." Raquel said.

"My daughter? They're your daughter too!" He growled, "They are _our_ daughters. And I am going to _our_ son's house." He said.

"Oh please Joseph. You can't just come around in a second. Are you telling me that you don't find it disgusting to see those two faggots kiss? To see them hug?" Raquel asked.

"Don't call them faggots!" Joseph growled, "I will admit that I still find it a bit uncomfortable at times. But when you see the love in their eyes that they have for each other. I can help to be jealous." Joseph said.

He walked towards his car, Raquel followed closely behind.

Just as he was about to get into his car he turned around and looked at Raquel. A woman that he had once loved. What had made her change so much? She had not been like this when they met.

She was such a different person and he no longer recognized her.

"You will receive divorce papers next week from my lawyer." Joseph said and got into the car.

Leaving a stunned Raquel behind.

Raquel was furious; she wanted to hit both Joseph and Eric.

She thought seriously for a second to hire a hit man. But maybe that was a bit too much. She didn't actually want anyone to die. Just to pay for lying to her and for betraying her like this.

_**TBC…**_

**AN: Uh oh, trouble maybe? Haven't actually decided yet.**


	11. Chapter 11

The weekend passed by and it was now Monday.

Alexx, Eric, H and Nat were in the break room.

"Coffee! Coffee! Coffee!" Calleigh repeated as she ran into the break room. Heading for the coffee machine.

Alexx, H, Eric and Nat chuckled.

"Somebody must have run out of coffee at home." Natalia grinned.

Calleigh chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, that's exactly what happened during the weekend." Calleigh smiled.

Ryan walked in and greeted everyone.

"Thank god that there is coffee here." Ryan said and took some coffee.

"How did the two of you survive the weekend without coffee?" Alexx asked.

"I have no idea." Calleigh chuckled, "But we managed somehow."

Valera was the next person to arrive.

"Hi guys." She greeted the others.

"Hi Val." They said.

"I'm taking Jason to meet my parents next weekend." Valera smiled.

"Have you told him what they're like?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, but he says it doesn't sound so bad." Valera smiled.

"Yeah, but he'll get shock of his life when he meets them." Calleigh said.

"He sure will." Valera agreed.

"Is Frank coming?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, he should be here soon." Eric said.

"Good." Ryan said.

"Ryan and I have decided to have best men and bride's maids." Calleigh said.

"You're going to tell us now?" Valera asked.

"As soon as Frank gets here." Calleigh smiled.

Right at that moment the Texan walked into the room.

He greeted everyone.

"Okay, this wasn't an easy choice." Calleigh said, "But I want Alexx and Valera to be my bride's maids." She smiled.

"Really?" Valera asked.

Calleigh nodded.

"Oh thank you Calleigh!" Valera shrieked. Calleigh received a hug from both Alexx and Valera.

"Is it alright with you Nat?" Calleigh asked.

"Of course!" Nat smiled, "Don't worry so much Calleigh."

"Okay, Ryan, I hate to create stress for you, but you better hurry up, ´cause I have to be in court in fifteen minutes." Frank said.

"Alright, well, the first person was easy to choose, but the second one was a little but harder." Ryan smiled, "H and Eric." He said.

"Great!" Frank smiled, "Now I really have to run, but you made the right decision." He smiled and patted Ryan on the shoulder.

"Thank you Ryan." Eric said.

"Yes, thank you." H smiled.

**-I-**

Raquel was at her brother Miguel's house.

She had been complaining for over an hour about her bad luck and how much her children hated her.

"Raquel, I don't know why you keep complaining. What can I do?" Miguel asked.

"I don't know!" Raquel snapped, "Maybe make my children understand how wrong it is. Teach them a lesson." She said.

"Teach them a lesson?" Miguel asked, "Just what exactly do you have on your mind?"

"I just want them to get hurt, just like they hurt me." Raquel said.

"They hurt you?" Miguel asked.

"Of course you idiot! They don't want to talk to me anymore!" Raquel yelled, "And that is evil."

"Maybe you have made a mistake?" Miguel asked.

"Me? No, I happen to be the only sane person in our family. And for that I have been left alone." She growled.

"You want me to hurt Joseph or Eric?" Miguel asked.

"Yes, can you?" Raquel asked.

"No, never. Eric is my nephew and Joseph is my best friend." Miguel said.

"Fine!" Raquel said, "Be like them!"

"I'm not going to leave you, but I don't see the problem with Eric." Joseph said, "He's your son Raquel."

"Go to hell Miguel!" Raquel yelled and left the house.

She walked down the street to where her car was parked. And then suddenly remembered something about Miguel's neighbor. Maybe he could help.

**-I-**

The morning passed quickly and it was lunch. Eric and Horatio met up with Joseph at a small lunch restaurant.

"Isn't it warm to wear suits in this sun?" Joseph asked Horatio.

"Yes, but it's my work outfit. It's sort of a policy at PD that the entire boss staff should war suits or something similar." Horatio said, "We all just do it to please the higher ups."

Joseph chuckled.

"I heard you like to go against them sometimes." He said.

"But it's just clothes and I don't think it's such a big deal. So I just wear my suits." Horatio said.

Joseph nodded.

The food arrived and the three men small talked a lot.

"I'm curious. I haven't asked this before, but how did you two become a couple?" Joseph asked.

"It started with H noticing that I looked at him longer than I should sometimes." Eric smiled, "He just smiled all the time when he noticed that I got lost in thought staring at him."

"And then I invited him for dinner one evening." Horatio said.

"He told me right away that he could feel my eyes all over him." Eric said, "I thought you hated it." He grinned at Horatio.

"No, it made me relieved because I knew that my feelings were returned." Horatio smiled.

"Then H kissed me and well, here we are." Eric smiled.

Joseph smiled.

"How did you and mom meet?" Eric asked.

"She visited Russia, Moscow to be more exact and she was determined not to belong to a tourist group." Joseph said, "She wanted to see the city without a guide. But she eventually got lost and couldn't fin her way back to her hotel." He smiled at the memory, "She tried to ask me where she was in poor Russian, and I told her I could speak a bit of English. She told me she was from Cuba. And then she told me the name of her hotel and I showed her the way." Joseph said.

"True love at first sight?" Horatio asked.

"Oh yes it was." Joseph said, "I moved with her to Cuba and when she was pregnant with Eric. We moved here." He said.

"What was she like when you met her?" Eric asked.

"She was angry because she was lost. I learned very quickly in our relationship that she had a short fuse." He chuckled, "But she always made me laugh and once she got a dream she always made it come true."

Eric smiled. His mother had been sane a long time ago.

"What happened with her dad? How did she become so… strange?" Eric asked.

"I don't know. But I think I spoiled her too much and I never said no to her." Joseph sighed, "So in a way I guess you can blame me for her behavior." He said.

"It's not your fault. She's a grown woman, and she knows inside herself what's right and wrong and so on." Horatio said, "She took advantage you."

"You think so?" Joseph asked.

"Yes. You may not have been able to say no all the times, but I think she got used to get everything she wanted. And know she has to get used of taking care of herself and suddenly not get everything she points at." Horatio said.

"She has to realize that not all dreams can be fulfilled, and that her dream about the perfect family is impossible to achieve." Eric said, "Because no family is perfect."

Joseph nodded.

"What time is it?" Eric asked.

"12:45, why?" Horatio said.

"Shit! I have court today at 12. See ya later. I love you." Eric said, he hugged his father and kissed Horatio goodbye.

"Love you too." Horatio said.

Eric ran towards his hummer and drove off.

"Can you give me a lift to the lab? Eric just took the hummer and we came here in the same one." Horatio asked.

"Of course, no problem." Joseph said.

They paid for the food and walked towards Joseph's car.

"Wow, is this a 69 Mustang?" Horatio asked.

"Yes." Joseph smiled.

"That's an awesome car." Horatio smiled.

Joseph nodded.

They didn't notice the car with tinted windows driving behind them, and the passenger seat window being lowered down.

The last thing Horatio remembered from that day was a sharp pain in his stomach and then his chest as he fell to the ground.

Joseph remembered a sharp pain in the shoulder and his back. He blacked out as his head hit the ground.

The people around only saw two men fall down and a black car with tainted windows speeding off.

After a while, sirens from police cars and two ambulances could be heard.

_**TBC…**_


	12. Chapter 12

Horatio and Joseph were rushed into the ER. They were wheeled into their own rooms, next to each other. Dr. Jason Maxton, Valera's boyfriend, was in charge of Joseph and Horatio. He was currently trying to save Joseph's life. While another doctor named Fredrick Walston was working on Horatio.

"Contact the Miami Dade crime lab please, and especially Eric Delko!" Jason called out. He recognized Horatio and Joseph.

"This man needs a lot of blood people." Jason said.

"He has a nasty head wound, Dr." A nurse called out.

"Stop the bleeding." Jason said, "Shit! He's going into cardiac arrest!"

Jason grabbed the paddles and charged to 200.

"Clear!" He called out. Joseph's body jerked up, but there was still no pulse.

A nurse did 15 chest compressions and then Jason used the paddles.

After doing this four times, he charged the paddles to 250.

"Clear!" He shouted, but again Joseph didn't get a pulse.

**--**

In the room next to Josephs. Fredrick Walston was currently doing an intubation on Horatio.

"Alright, the tube is in." He said.

"His breathing is too slow Dr." A nurse said.

"And so is his heartbeat. Alright give him some adrenaline; I don't want him to go into cardiac arrest." Fredrick said.

"His chest wound won't stop bleeding Dr." A nurse said.

"Dammit, we have to get him to the OR." Fredrick said, "Call them."

A nurse called the OR.

"How is the other patient doing?" Fredrik asked.

"He's in cardiac arrest, Dr."

Fredrik sighed.

"Alright, get some blood. He's losing too much." Fredrik said.

"The OR is waiting for us, Dr." A nurse said.

"Alright, let's move people." Fredrik said.

They wheeled Horatio out of the room and towards the elevators.

His pulse was still too slow.

**--**

"Charge 300!" Jason said, "Clear!"

The heart monitor started beeping.

"He has pulse!" A nurse said.

Jason sighed, "Where did they move Lt. Caine?" He asked.

"OR, Dr."

"Alright, we have to stabilize Mr Delko here before we can take him up there as well." Jason said, "He needs more blood."

"He's having trouble breathing, Dr."

"Let's put a tube down his throat to help him breathe." Jason said. Joseph's pulse was too slow, and irregular. As was his breathing.

**-I-**

Ryan ran towards the break room. Calleigh had called for a meeting and he suspected that it had something to do with a shooting that had occurred down at a diner only fifteen minutes ago.

"Okay listen up." Calleigh said, "You've all heard about the shooting outside a diner fifteen minutes ago."

Everybody nodded.

"Yeah, well there were two people shot and those two are Horatio and Joseph Delko, Eric's father." Calleigh said.

People gasped and said "Oh my god."

"Why haven't we heard about until now?" Valera asked.

"Because the ambulance arrived at the scene before the cops, and the officers never got a chance to see who the victims were. We got a call from the hospital. Dr. Jason Maxton is in charge of them." Calleigh said.

"Let's go." Valera said and left the room.

Everybody followed.

"Hold on a minute here guys, we have been told to process the scene." Calleigh said.

"What?!" Valera growled, "Our friends have been shot!"

"Val, calm down." Ryan said.

"Look, I think that the person who should really be there is Eric, but he's in court right now. Until he has testified, we won't be able to call him. But I've sent Frank over there to tell him. However, and I hate to say this, we have to process the scene and all the evidence to get this guy." Calleigh said.

The lab techs sighed. They knew she was right.

"Ryan and I are going to the scene. We will send the evidence back here and hopefully we will nail this guy before the end of the day." She said.

"You're right. But I still want to go there." Valera said.

"I know, we all do. But let's try to nail this guy first." Calleigh said, "Eric will be there and he'll call us when he hears something." Calleigh said.

"Let's go Cal." Ryan said and together the left the lab.

The lab techs stood behind.

"What are you waiting for people?!" Valera growled, "Get your butts to work."

Valera walked towards the elevator.

"Hey, where are you going?" Cooper asked.

"I'm going to have a little talk with Raquel Delko." Valera said.

"You think she did this?" Cooper asked.

"Yes, I do." Valera said.

"Be careful, Val." He said.

Valera nodded.

**-I-**

Ryan and Calleigh arrived at the scene. There were four blood pools on the ground.

Ryan swabbed them.

"Calleigh, what do you expect us to find?" Ryan asked.

"Tire marks like those." She pointed at some black tire marks, "And surveillance cameras like those." She said and pointed at some cameras on a lamp pole.

"And hopefully some reliable witnesses." She said.

"Sounds good to me." Ryan said, "I'll check the cameras."

"Dt. Duquesne?" An officer asked.

"Yes?"

"I'm officer Marvel. I've been asking some people questions, they all saw the same thing, a black car with tainted windows speeding off." He said.

"Alright, no one that got a number plate?" She asked.

"No, but I found one person who says she saw a little bit of the shooter." He said and showed Calleigh to the witness.

"Hi, I'm Calleigh Duquesne from the crime lab." Calleigh introduced herself.

"Linda O'Connor." She said. Calleigh could hear that she was from England.

"Hi, what did you see?" Calleigh asked.

"Well, like I told the officer here. The guy was definitely white. His arm was very pale. Like he had never been out in the sun. And he had a golden ring on his finger. And a black gun in his hand." Linda said.

"Good, that's very good." Calleigh smiled.

"I also, think I saw a bit of his face. I remember seeing a scratch on the cheek. The, um… right cheek." Linda said.

"Really?" Calleigh asked.

"Yes, everything kind of happened in slow motion and I saw a scratch on the cheek." Linda said, "I was standing on the curb and the car drove close to me. That's why I could see inside the car."

"Alright, thank you very much. This helps a lot." Calleigh said.

Linda nodded.

Calleigh walk away to look at the tire marks when her phone rang. It was Frank.

"Frank." Calleigh answered.

"Calleigh, Eric and I are on the way to the hospital. I'm going to drop him off and then I'll join you on the scene. Please tell me you got something?" Frank said.

"Yeah, we have a witness that says our shooter is pale like he has never been out in the sun. She saw a golden ring on his finger and she thinks she saw a scratch on his right cheek." Calleigh said.

"Alright, that's very good." Frank said.

"And of course now, we also know that it was a drive by shooting, and that the car was black with tainted windows. And we got surveillance cameras and tire marks." she said.

"That's great. I'll be right there." Frank said and hung up.

"Was that Frank?" Ryan asked.

Calleigh nodded, "He's dropping Eric of at the hospital." She said.

"Poor Eric. First the whole Raquel and Valera fighting thingy. Then the explosion and now this." Ryan said.

"Yeah, I have a feeling that Raquel might be a part of this." Calleigh said.

"Maybe she paid this pale guy to do this." Ryan said.

"Yeah, but it also hard to imagine that she could really want Horatio and Joseph dead." Calleigh said.

Calleigh photographed the tire marks.

"Detectives!" Officer Marvel called out.

Calleigh and Ryan looked at officer Marvel.

"They just found a black car crashed into a tree. The driver is dead." Marvel said.

"Where?" Ryan asked.

"Just two blocks from here." Marvel said.

"Let's go." Ryan said.

**-I-**

Eric wasn't alone in the OR waiting room at the hospital.

His sisters were with him.

"This has to be Mama's work." Maya said.

"Maya! Do you really think she is that heart less?" Trish snapped.

"Yeah! I do, that hag hates us!" Maya growled.

"Maya she's our mother!" Trish said.

"Yeah, well mothers have killed their kids for centuries!" Maya yelled at Trish.

"Would you two stop!" Carla said.

"Well what do you think then?" Maya asked.

"Mom can barely drive, and absolutely not shoot a gun." Carla said.

"She can learn." Maya said.

"Oh come on!" A fourth sister, Elena said.

"She could have hired someone." Maya said.

"It's my entire fault." Eric said quietly.

The sisters stopped fighting and looked at their little brother.

"No, it's not your fault." Trish said and hugged her brother.

"I should have told her that day when she came into the lab." Eric said, "About me and H."

"It wouldn't have changed her reaction, believe me Eric." Maya said.

"Maya is right, it wouldn't." Carla said, "She will never learn."

"It's still my fault." Eric said.

"Well then its' our fault as well. We yelled at her and pushed her away. We hurt her. You did no such thing. You were not the one that broke all contact with her. We made sure that she would never hear from us again." Maya said, "We did this."

"None of us did this. We can not take the blame for this. It's not our fault. And we don't even know if Mom has anything to do with this." Carla said.

"Eric, there is no way that we can predict what she's going to do." Elena said, "This is not your fault little brother."

Then Jason walked into the room.

"Eric?" Jason asked.

Eric looked at him and walked towards him. His sisters closely behind.

"These are my sisters. You haven't met them until now." Eric said.

Jason nodded, "Hello."

"Hi." They all said.

"Alright, let's sit down shall we?" Jason asked.

They all sat down.

"I'll start with Horatio. He has lost a lot of blood and his left lung is punctured. There is a risk that we might have to remove that lung, since we are still having troubles fixing the damage." Jason said, and paused to let the information sink in a little.

"He got shot in the stomach as well; we will have to remove his spleen. The bullet is now lodged in his back, but from what X- Ray has shown, there is no risk of Horatio becoming paralyzed. However, we don't know for sure yet, it might turn out differently. My biggest concern is the bullet in his chest. It's lodged close to his neck and artery. The surgery is very risky." Jason said.

"It can kill him." Maya said.

"Yes, but we have to remove it. But, yes it can kill him." Jason said. He knew it was best to be completely honest with Eric.

"What about future damage then?" Trish asked.

"If we, or more exactly the surgical team, are able to remove the bullets without any trouble. Then he should recover without any problems." Jason said.

Eric nodded. That was all he could do at the moment. He was still so shocked that he wasn't sure if his voice was working.

"What about dad?" Maya asked.

"He is more complicated. He has also lost a lot of blood, and his body is very weak at the moment. He seems to have trouble responding to our medication and his pulse is irregular and a little bit too slow. His breathing has impoved some, but at first it too, was irregular." Jason said, "Therefore he still hasn't gone into to the OR. He also got a head wound, most likely from hitting his head on the pavement." Jason said.

"He has a concussion right?" Trish asked.

Jason nodded.

"I'm afraid there is more than that. He has some bleeding in his brain. Its very severe, and he could have some brain damage." Jason said.

"Such as?" Trish asked.

"Well, there is a risk that he will have trouble talking. His speech could be damaged, but if that's the case we hope that he will be able to improve it by training." Jason said, "He was also shot in the back and that bullet is causing a lot of bleeding."

"But it's not at risk of making him paralyzed is it?" Maya asked.

"No." Jason said.

"This all sounds so very bad. Who is actually doing best right now?" Carla asked.

"None of them." Jason said.

"Can we see dad or Horatio?" Maya asked.

"No, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until he's stabile." Jason said, "And Horatio is in surgery."

Eric stood up and walked away to call his friends and tell them about everything that Jason had said.

**-I-**

Three hours went by. Horatio's surgery had had some difficulties and he had gone into cardiac arrest twice. Both of the bullets had been removed, but the surgeons were still working on trying to fix an artery that had suddenly burst. His spleen had been removed. His left lung was at the moment fixed. However, he still had big risk of having to remove it.

The bullets had been sent to the lab, where Calleigh would process them.

Joseph still had not gone into surgery. He had also gone into cardiac arrest twice, in only thirty minutes.

Eric was sitting in the cafeteria with Maya.

His other sisters had gone home for the moment, tending to their children. There was nothing they could do but wait. But Eric had refused to leave. Even though he had been told that Horatio's surgery would most likely take another five hours.

"Any news from the lab?" Maya asked.

"Yeah, so far they have confirmed that the guy from the crashed car is the shooter. The number plate on the car was an exact match to the car on the surveillance tapes." Eric said.

"Have they checked with Mom?" Maya asked.

"No." But they said that our uncle Miguel was there. Apparently he had some information for them." Eric said.

"He should be here." Maya said, "Dad is his best friend."

"He will come here once he's done at the station." Eric said.

"Good." Maya said.

"Do you really think mom is capable of hiring someone to shoot dad and H?" Eric asked.

"Yes, I do. She's evil. Many people don't think she's actually heart less. But if she feels that she been hurt too much, she will want revenge." Maya said, "Come one Eric, she was revengeful when we were kids as well." Maya said.

Eric nodded.

One time their mother had decided to revenge a guy that had bullied Maya. She had several times asked the boys parents to talk to their son. But they never did. So Raquel had decided to teach them a lesson by crashing the windshield of their car and stick the car to the ground with cement.

No evidence was ever found that Raquel had done it, but she had bought cement that same week.

"When did mom actually start getting weird?" Eric asked, "I mean she wasn't like that all the time."

"No, it was when you were about eleven. Only you and Elena were still living at home." Maya said, "But we other visited so much that it was practically like we never left." Maya said.

"How did she start?" Eric asked.

"She started complaining about the clothes we wore, even though she had bought them. She started complaining about how dad never gave her stuff." Maya said, "One of the worst things is that dad never stood up for us."

"But he's asked for a second chance." Eric said.

"I know, and I like him even more now then when I was a kid." Maya said.

Eric nodded in agreement.

**-I-**

It had taken Valera hours to find Raquel, but now she had.

Raquel was inside a solarium. Valera stood outside, at Raquel's car.

Finally, Raquel came out and stared at Valera.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Your husband and son-in-law are in the hospital. Shot." Valera said, "A drive by shooting. But I guess you already knew that?"

"Why would I?" Raquel asked.

"Because you hired a hit man." Valera said.

"You got anything to prove that?"

"Miguel." Valera said.

"I just got a call from a colleague of mine. Miguel has just left a statement. He says that you asked him to teach Eric and Joseph a lesson. He refused." Valera said.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Raquel snorted.

"I also talked to a woman that lives just across the street from him. She says that you came out of Miguel's house. Furious. Then you smiled and paid a visit to Miguel's neighbor Jason Ash." Valera said, "The same Jason Ash that happens to be lying in the morgue right now from crashing into a tree with his car. The same car that was used in the drive by shooting." Valera said.

"That doesn't prove anything." Raquel said.

"Really? Then please explain why you asked your brother to kill Joseph and Eric, and when he didn't want to, you went to Jason? Only thirty minutes after you left Jason's house. Joseph and Horatio were shot." Valera said, "Wait, I can smell attempted murder of a police officer and Joseph Delko." She smiled, "Can you smell it?"

"No, I smell lies." Raquel said.

"Raquel, how do you plan on getting out of this one?" Valera asked, "You shot Horatio and Joseph. But your original plan was to shoot Eric and Joseph. You wanted to kill you own son." Valera said.

"I haven't done anything wrong." Raquel said.

"We'll see about that." Valera smiled as Frank and Ryan got out a car from across the street.

"Did I forget to mention that I had a wire on me?" Valera asked and showed Raquel a tape recorder under her shirt.

"It doesn't prove anything." Raquel said.

"Only how nervous you got when I told you what we had found." Valera said.

"It still isn't enough." Raquel smiled.

"No, it isn't. But for the fun of it, you are under arrest anyway." Frank said and handcuffed Raquel.

"Nice Valera." Ryan said.

"Thank you." She smiled.

**TBC…**

**AN: Alright, should I let someone die? Maybe I will, or maybe not. You'll see in the next chapter! **

**Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

"What proof do you have?" State Attorney Rebecca Nevins asked Frank and Calleigh.

"Miguel, Raquel's brother. And then the neighbor who saw her go into Jason Ash's house." Frank said.

"Surely you two know by now that it's not enough." Rebecca said, "Can you prove that the statement is true?"

"Are you kidding?!" Calleigh growled, "Have you even met Raquel?"

"Ms Duquesne. I'm sorry. But this case will never go to court. You have to find more." Rebecca apologized.

"Oh for god's sake, that woman paid Jason Ash to shoot H and Joseph!" Calleigh growled.

"Cal, calm down. We have no choice but to find more." Frank said.

"I'm sorry. I have not met her, but I do know that she has to be evil, since everybody here hates her." Rebecca said, "But I can't do anything yet."

Frank nodded.

"Thanks anyway Ms Nevins." He said.

Rebecca nodded and left.

"How do we find more?" Calleigh said.

"You're the CSI Calleigh." Frank said.

"Yeah, but you know as well." Calleigh said, "My brain isn't working." She sighed.

"Calleigh, you need to rest. Why don't you go home?" Frank said.

"Frank, we all need to rest." Calleigh said, "And I won't go home until we have found all the evidence we can to put Raquel behind bars." She said.

Just then, Valera walked up to them. She had just heard that Nevins would not prosecute Raquel.

Valera was furious.

"Is Nevins serious?" She asked.

Calleigh nodded, "I have to admit that she's right Val. We don't have enough."

Valera sighed.

"All you have to do is to look at the woman to understand that she's capable of murder." Valera said.

"I know." Calleigh said, "Natalia and I will go back to the house."

"Natalia?" Valera asked.

"Yeah."

"Calleigh, she's on a conference in Boston remember?" Valera said.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Calleigh sighed.

"Has anyone called her?" Frank asked.

"Yeah. In fact she should be in Miami in about two hours." Valera said.

"I had completely forgotten about her." Calleigh said.

"Don't worry about it. Calleigh, you are taking too much work on yourself." Valera said, "Don't burn yourself out."

Calleigh nodded.

"Any news from the hospital?" Frank asked.

"Horatio is still in surgery, he should be out in… um… two hours, I think." Valera said.

"And Joseph?" Calleigh asked.

"Still not looking so good." Val sighed.

"Alright. I'll grab Ryan and head to Jason Ash's house." Calleigh said.

"Shouldn't you talk to Alexx and see what has found?" Frank asked.

"I don't think I can handle looking at the man who did this." Calleigh said, "Tell Natalia to do it when she arrives."

**-I-**

Ryan and Calleigh had never seen a house so full of garbage.

Jason Ash's house was full of cigarettes, shredded paper, mud, coffee stains, milk stains, empty containers, old food and god knows what else.

"I hope none of this is contagious." Ryan said.

Calleigh nodded.

"I'm not sure what we're looking for." Calleigh admitted.

"Well, I don't think that Raquel and Jason wrote any deal down on paper." Ryan said, "But maybe we can find other evidence that she was in here. That would confirm the neighbor's statement." He said.

"Yeah, but it's going to take a while to find something in this mess." Calleigh said.

"Maybe not. Look at this." Ryan said, "A small footprint. And it looks to be from high- heels." Ryan said.

"Yeah, you're right." Calleigh smiled, "I have a feeling its' going to be a perfect match to Raquel's shoes."

Ryan nodded.

"Wait, did you hear that?" He asked.

"What?"

"Listen."

Calleigh listened closely. And heard what sounded like someone tripping over boxes and glass.

Ryan and Calleigh grabbed their guns and walked towards what was most likely the kitchen. But who knew with all the dirt in the house.

"Miami Dade PD!" Calleigh said as she saw a brown haired man trying to get up from the floor.

The man froze.

"Whoa!" He said when he saw two guns pointing at him.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Ryan asked.

"I'm Derek Alperton. I live here man." Derek said.

"Do you know Jason Ash?" Calleigh asked.

"Yeah… I'm renting a room here." Derek said.

Calleigh and Ryan lowered their guns and Derek stood up.

"Has something happened to Jason?" Derek asked.

"He's dead." Ryan said.

"Oh man, that's bad." Derek said, "How?"

"He crashed into a tree with his car." Ryan said, "Just minutes after he had shoot two people."

"He shot someone?!" Derek exclaimed.

"Yeah, a CSI and a civilian." Calleigh said.

"Oh damn. I never thought Jason would do something like that." Derek said.

"Do you know if he met someone today?" Calleigh asked, "Someone who came into the house?"

"Yeah, or I mean… Jason was talking to someone, but I was in my room. I only heard what he answered." Derek said, "I only use the kitchen and bathroom, it's the cleanest rooms in the house. And as you can see even those rooms are dirty." Derek said, "Jason lived at a trash yard."

"What did Jason say?" Ryan asked.

"Something like, _"you're crazy, that's illegal."_" Derek said, "And _"Ten thousand is a lot of money, but I can't do it."_.

"And you have no idea who the other person was?" Calleigh asked.

Derek shook his head.

"No, but I do know that Jason had a lot of money on the living room table." Derek said, "And then he must have left or something. I came back like five minutes later and the money was gone."

Calleigh sighed.

"Did you hear what kind of shoes the other person was wearing?"

"Are you kidding?" Derek asked, "Why would I listen for that?"

"Alright, would you mind leaving a statement down at the station?" Ryan asked.

"Sure." Derek said.

Derek left the house with an officer.

Calleigh sighed.

"Cal, let's go back to the lab and look at those shoeprints." Ryan said.

"We're not done here." She said."Yeah, but we are too tired to notice things right now. Maybe with some rest and a new pair of eyes, like Natalia's, we can spot something new." Ryan said.

Calleigh nodded in agreement.

**--**

Across town Natalia had arrived to the lab and been told everything that had happened.

She was now down in the morgue with Alexx.

"So this is the guy?" Natalia asked and pointed at Jason Ash's body.

"Yeah." Alexx said.

"What have you got?" Natalia asked.

"Time of death was around ten, five to twelve." Alexx said, "He must have shoot Horatio and Joseph. And in fear of being caught, driven to fast and crashed into a tree." Alexx said.

"What exactly killed him?" Natalia asked.

"A piece of glass that entered his temple." Alexx said.

"Anything out of the obvious?"

"Yeah, this." Alexx said and picked up a plastic bag, "Ten thousand dollars. Found them in the back pocket of his pants."

"Great, hopefully there will be prints on them." Natalia smiled.

Her phone started ringing and she picked it up.

"Natalia… Hi… Really?… Well, that's great… Alright.. Yeah, guess what? Alexx found ten thousand dollars in his pocket." Natalia said, "Yeah, I'll run them for prints… Great see you soon." She hung up.

"Calleigh?" Alexx asked.

"Yeah. They went to Ash's house and found shoeprints that looks like they belong to high- heels. They found a roommate that heard Jason talking to someone. He only heard what Jason said though. And guess what?" Natalia said.

"He heard Ash mention something about ten thousand dollars." Alexx said.

"That's right. He said that Jason talked about something being illegal, and calling someone crazy. Then he said that ten thousand dollars was a lot of money, but he refused to take them at first." Natalia said.

"He must have changed his mind." Alexx said.

"Yeah. Calleigh said there was a bit more, but she'd tell me when she came back to the lab." Natalia said.

"I hope this can bring Raquel down." Alexx said.

"Me too."

**-I-**

Eric and his sister Maya were in the OR waiting room.

Jason walked in with a smile on his face.

"You have good news right?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, I do. Horatio's surgery was over a bit faster then we had though." Jason said, "He's stabile and we only had to remove was his spleen. His lung is fixed." Jason smiled.

Eric sighed in relief.

"But we aware that there is still a risk for the damage to open again." Jason said, "If he can make it through the night without complications, things will look good."

"Please tell me I can see him." Eric said.

"Yes you can, he's in the ICU, room 215." Jason said.

"Thank you so much Jason." Eric said.

"Don't mention it Eric." Jason smiled.

Eric ran out of the room. Maya stayed behind.

"Any news on dad?" She asked.

"Yes, if he goes through this hour without any problems. He will go into surgery." Jason said.

Maya sighed.

"Things are starting to get better." She said.

"Yes, they are." Jason smiled.

Maya nodded.

"Thank you Jason."

Jason smiled.

Maya then walked away to find Eric. She saw him standing outside room 215.

He watched Horatio through the window.

Several machines were hooked up to Horatio. Monitoring his heartbeat, breathing. Everything.

He had an oxygen mask on him, and under his hospital clothes, his chest was covered with bandages.

"What are you waiting for Eric?" Maya asked softly.

"I've never seen him like this. People don't imagine H ever being in a situation like this one." Eric said, "Today I realized just how much I need him in my life. How much I love him. I can't be without him Maya." Eric smiled.

"And you won't." Maya said, "And by the way. Dad will hopefully go into surgery in about an hour." She smiled.

Eric nodded. Maya could see that he had tears in his eyes.

"Go in now Eric. I think you need some alone time with him." She said.

Eric nodded and went inside the room.

He sat down on the right side of Horatio's bed. He reached out to grab his hand.

"I don't think you can hear me H." Eric said, "I love you more than anything." He smiled.

He felt a light squeeze on his hand.

Eric softly kissed Horatio's hand.

Outside Maya stood watching.

She wished that one day she could meet her true love. She was the only one of the Delko siblings without a partner.

For many years, she had wanted to stay single. Now she wanted nothing more than to settle down.

She picked up her phone to call the lab and her sisters.

**-I-**

Two hours had passed.

Natalia hadn't found any prints on the money. Calleigh had however matched the shoeprints from the house to Raquel's shoes.

And with the statements from the neighbor, Derek and Miguel. They felt that they had a solid case.

Once again, Calleigh and Frank met up with Rebecca Nevins; do get her to take the case to court.

Rebecca sighed.

"Did you know that Derek is a drug addict?" Rebecca said.

Frank sighed, "Oh for heaven's sake Nevins."

"Frank, I want to get Raquel for this, I really do. But with this evidence I can't." She said.

"We have put her in the house, through the shoeprints and the neighbor's statement. Miguel can testify that she wanted him to kill Eric and Joseph." Calleigh said, "Derek says that he saw ten thousand dollars on the living room table. And we have the ten thousand dollars." She said.

"Derek is an addict, no one will believe him. You can't prove that Raquel actually handed Ash the money or that she was even the one that he talked to." Rebecca said, "All Derek heard was Ash's response to questions."

Frank sighed, "Raquel must have worn gloves. Can't we at least take a look at her bank records?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, but in the mean time, she's free to go." Rebecca said, "You can't hold her."

Calleigh sighed, "Can you make sure that she doesn't leave the city?"

"I can have someone tail her." Rebecca said.

"I'll get a warrant for her bank records _and_ her house." Frank said.

**--**

It didn't take Frank long to get the warrant. Since no one wanted nothing more than to close the case and convict someone for the shooting of Horatio and Joseph.

Frank and Calleigh were in Raquel's house, while Ryan and Natalia checked her bank records back at the lab.

"She has very clean house." Frank said, "And what the hell is that smell?"

Frank sneezed.

"Flowers." Calleigh said, "There is nothing wrong with flowers."

"There is too much of it." Frank said.

"Can you go and check the living room for evidence, while I take the bedroom?" Calleigh asked.

Frank nodded.

"I think that the best chance we have to nail her is by Natalia and Ryan finding something in her bank records." Frank said.

Calleigh sighed.

"Yeah, I hate to admit it. But I don't think that we will find enough evidence to nail Raquel." Calleigh said sadly.

Frank nodded.

"But it doesn't hurt to look. And while we're here why don't we really turn everything upside down?" He smirked

**--**

"Find anything?" Natalia asked.

Ryan sighed.

"No, we've been over this paper four times now. I can't see anything." Ryan said.

"Unless it's odd that she has practically never done anything with her money." Natalia said.

"Yeah, well she has always used Joseph's money." Ryan said.

"Have we checked his bank records?" Natalia asked.

"He locked his account from her two weeks ago Nat." Ryan said, "She couldn't have taken any money from him."

"What if she did it before that?" Natalia asked.

Ryan thought for a second.

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt to look." He said.

"Ryan, it's the only chance we got." She said.

"No, let's check Miguel's records just to be sure." Ryan said, "I'll get us a warrant."

**--**

Forty minutes had passed.

Calleigh and Frank had checked almost every room in Raquel's house, except bathroom, kitchen and the study.

So far, they had nothing.

"Calleigh, if she has anything it's probably in the study." Frank said.

"Raquel is a smart woman Frank. She might have hidden whatever it is we're looking for at the most unbelievable place." Calleigh said and moved inside the bathroom.

"Like in the toilet?" Frank asked.

Calleigh shrugged.

"Yeah, I think that it's a possibility." She said.

Frank sighed.

"What are we looking for Calleigh?" He asked.

"Anything that proves she ordered the hit on Horatio and Joseph." Calleigh said, "It's better that we look and don't find anything, than not looking and missing something."

Frank nodded in agreement.

**--**

"Anything?" Natalia asked.

"No, you?" Ryan asked.

Natalia sighed.

"Miguel is clean." She said.

"Joseph too." Ryan said.

"Then from where and who did she get the money?" Natalia asked.

"I don't know. Friends?" Ryan asked.

"But which friend just gives you ten thousand without asking any questions?"

"Maybe she took a few thousand from several people." Ryan said, "She probably told them some story of how lonely she was and how everybody hated her."

Natalia said.

"So, what? We should check all her friends bank records as well?" She asked.

"We don't know how many friends she has." Ryan sighed.

"So what now?" Natalia asked.

Ryan sighed.

"We ask Miguel who Raquel's closest friends are." Ryan said.

After a phone call to Miguel, they now had two names.

"Alright, Kim Bryant and Penelope Marcela." Ryan said.

"Do you think we will get a warrant?" Natalia asked.

"Yeah, I do." Ryan said.

**--**

"Calleigh we have checked every single room in the house." Frank said, "We have nothing."

Calleigh sighed in frustration.

"Yeah, and I just got a call from Natalia. She and Ryan only have to people left to check." She said.

"And if they don't find anything. Nevins won't take this case to court." Frank said.

"We can hire someone else." Calleigh said.

"Calliegh, Nevins is the best. I don't think anyone else will take this to court either." He said.

"We're screwed." Calleigh sighed.

"Raquel has somehow managed to wipe out the evidence." Frank said, "But she will pay sooner or later Cal."

Calleigh sighed.

**--**

An hour later. Ryan, Nat, Calliegh and Frank once again tried to persuade Rebecca Nevins to take the case to court.

"You guys got nothing new." Rebecca said, "I'm sorry."

"Rebecca, we know in our hearts and souls that Raquel is guilty." Natalia said.

"But you can't prove it." Rebecca said.

"Please Rebecca." Ryan pleaded, "She's evil and she's guilty."

"The statements has to count for something." Frank said.

Rebecca sighed.

"Alright, I'll do it." She said, "But don't have to high hopes on winning."

Calleigh, Frank, Ryan and Nat smiled.

"Thank you Rebecca." Calleigh sighed.

Rebecca nodded.

"I know that you guys are right. But you have to understand why this will be a tough case in court." She said.

"We do." Frank said.

**-I-**

Alexx knocked softly on the door and then walked inside Horatio's room.

Eric smiled at her. She sat down on the left side of the bed.

"He squeezes my hand sometimes." Eric smiled, "I think he does it every time he wakes up. Though he hasn't opened his eyes yet. But then again, he probably doesn't stay awake for many minutes."

"You're probably right." Alexx said, "I talked to Jason."

"Yeah, anything new?" Eric asked.

"You're dad is in surgery. He has been for an hour." Alexx said, "Maya should have told you, but she fell asleep in the waiting room."

"Oh, I completely forgot about her and dad when I walked in here." Eric said.

"Don't worry. She said that you shouldn't be anywhere but here." Alexx smiled, "But I sent her home."

Eric nodded, "I will have to leave to check on dad later."

"Or I can do it for you." Alexx said, "Or your other sisters."

Eric nodded.

"I want to check for myself as well. Horatio would understand." Eric said.

"If Horatio was more awake he'd probably tell you to go home and get some sleep." Alexx said, "Which I by the way think you should as well."

Eric sighed.

"I want to stay here tonight." He said.

"Trish and Elena are on their way here. They can keep an eye on Horatio. As can I and the rest of the team." Alexx said.

"I know, but for tonight I want to stay." Eric said, "I can sleep tomorrow."

"What do we have on the case anyway?" Eric asked.

"A statement from Miguel that proves that Raquel wanted you and Joseph to be shot. A neighbor that says Raquel walked into Jason Ash's, who is our shooter's, house. A roommate that says Jason received ten thousand dollars from an unknown person. We found the ten thousand dollars, but no prints on them. Shoe prints that puts Raquel inside Ash's house." Alexx said, "And as soon as we get all the bullets from Horatio and Joseph we will prove that Jason's gun was used to shoot them. But that won't be much of a surprise. And it still doesn't prove that Raquel paid him."

"Will Nevins take it to court?" Eric asked.

"Yes, but, there is a big risk that we won't win. We barely have enough evidence."

"It sounds enough." Eric said.

"No, we can't prove that the statements are true. However, that wasn't the biggest problem. One of the biggest problems was that the room mate is a drug addict." Alexx sighed.

"That means that his statement won't hold up in court." Eric said.

"Yes, and we can't really prove that Raquel was the one with the money. Ryan and Natalia checked, hers, Joseph's, Miguel's and two friend's bank records and they haven't been able to prove from where or who Raquel got the money." Alexx sighed.

"Which is a plus for her. A good lawyer would probably say that it indicates that someone else paid Jason." Eric said.

"But then again, Raquel was the only with a grudge against you and Joseph." Alexx said.

"But everybody knows that H and I are gay. So any homo phobic person could have paid Jason." Eric sighed.

"I know it's not looking very good. But at least Nevins will try to get her convicted." Alexx said.

Eric nodded.

"They are going to take another look at Jason's house tomorrow." Alexx said, "Once they had gotten some rest."

_**TBC…**_

**AN: I decided not to kill anyone… so far…, lol!**

**Alright for anyone who is confused as to who Jason was paid to shoot, it's like this: He was supposed to shoot Eric and Joseph. But since Eric left for court minutes before Jason arrived at the diner to shoot him. It was Horatio and Joseph who were shot instead.**

**Please review!! **


	14. Chapter 14

It was a new day and Eric sat in his father's room. Joseph had survived the surgery, but he was in a coma. As Eric sat and looked at his father. He thought about how much Joseph had changed.

When Eric was young, Joseph had never said much, except how important it was for Eric to take over the family business and make sure his sisters didn't screw up. He never really showed much affection for his children, or his wife. In fact, Joseph hadn't been much of a father for Eric. He had found his father figure in his uncle Miguel instead. Eric had wanted to be just like Miguel, calm, kind and unbiased. Miguel had been and still was a big inspiration for Eric.

But in the last few weeks, he had seen a different side of his father. He had seen the real Joseph. Joseph reminded Eric of Miguel in many ways. Eric and his sisters had given their father a second chance, and they didn't regret it. Joseph had proved that he cared about them. He had showed them what a great father he could be. And for that, he had paid a prize. The prize of being shot by his wife. Soon to be ex-wife.

Eric had been told that Horatio's bullets were meant for him. It made him angry. He wished that he had been shot instead. He also knew that he couldn't possibly have prevented the drive by shooting.

"Have you been home at all?" The voice of Trish was heard from the door.

Eric sighed.

"I'm going home soon." He said.

"Don't beat yourself up over this Eric." Trish said and sat down next to her brother.

"I should have been shot. Horatio's bullets were meant for me. And dad certainly don't deserve this." Eric said.

"No one does Eric. Not you, Horatio or dad." Trish said.

Eric nodded. Trish was right, she always was.

"Why are you and Alexx always right?" Eric asked.

"We're women. And let's not forget that Calleigh, Natalia, Valera, every woman you know are also, always right." Trish smiled.

Eric chuckled.

"Now go home and get some sleep, food and a shower." Trish said.

"You sound just like Alexx. Are you taking lessons?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, every Friday at 8pm." Trish grinned.

Eric laughed and hugged his sister goodbye.

As he arrived at the parking lot, hoping to get a taxi, he ran into Rebecca Nevins.

"Eric Delko." Rebecca said, "How are you?"

"Hi Rebecca, I'm fine." Eric said.

"Good. Have you been informed about why it's a risk that I won't be able to get a conviction on Raquel?" She asked.

"Yes, I have. I realize that it's going to be hard." Eric said.

"Yeah, but I'll do everything I can." Rebecca said.

"I know, and I really appreciate that." Eric said.

Rebecca nodded, "It's my job Eric."

Eric nodded.

He knew Rebecca would really try her hardest to get Raquel in jail. Even if Rebecca wouldn't admit it, she didn't just take the case because the team had begged her. She also took it because she liked Horatio, maybe she was still in love with him. And she probably felt like she owed something to Horatio. But Eric wasn't sure. It was gut feeling.

"Well, anyway, the trial starts in two months." Rebecca said, "But Raquel won't make bail."

"Really? No one is willing to pay?" Eric asked, "Can't she pay for herself?"

Rebecca laughed.

"Only if she has 14 million dollars." She said.

"Wow, that's a lot of money." Eric said.

"Yeah, I think it was Judge Holden that made sure she wouldn't get out." Rebecca said, "He will also be our judge during the trial."

"Good." Eric said.

Judge Holden was one of the best judges in the state of Florida. He made sure that dangerous people stayed were they belonged. And he was famous for often giving long sentences.

Eric and Rebecca said goodbye to each other as Eric managed to find a taxi.

On the way home, he couldn't help but to think about his mother.

Did he really like the idea of her going to jail?

Yes, she had shot his father and boyfriend. However, deep inside of himself Eric couldn't help but to feel sad. His world had tilted; never in a million years would he have thought that his mother was crazy enough to plan a murder. How could she be such a cold-blooded person?

How had she become like that? Had she always been like that?

Eric wasn't sure if he would ever be able to see his mother again. He didn't know if he could ever look into her eyes and call her mom. It was a nightmare. He wanted to wake up and realize that his mom and dad accepted him for who he was and that Horatio would be waiting for him at home.

If his mother hadn't showed up at the lab that day, several weeks ago, this would never have happened.

**-I-**

Calleigh was determined to find more. She was almost addicted to Jason Ash's house.

And she dragged Ryan along with her.

"Calleigh, honey, darling, my sweet love. This is the third time we've been walking around in this house." Ryan said, "There is nothing here Cal."

Calleigh didn't answer. She shined her light on every millimeter of the house.

"Calleigh." Ryan sighed.

"Ryan! I am trying to put that murderous woman in jail. And we need to find more evidence to have a more solid case!" Calleigh growled.

Ryan grabbed Calleigh's arm and turned her towards him.

"Calleigh, look at me." Ryan said. Calleigh looked at him.

"I understand completely why you're doing this. Believe me, I want a more solid case as well." Ryan said, "But there is no more evidence here."

Calleigh sighed.

"Ryan, we might loose in court." She whined.

"I know, but Raquel will get her punishment. She will screw up sooner or later." Ryan said, "We'll rent a prison cell for her."

Calleigh sighed again. Ryan hugged her.

"Have you talked to Eric?" She asked.

"No, I was thinking we could go and visit Horatio later this afternoon." Ryan said.

"Yeah, I feel awful. We haven't been to visit Horatio or Joseph yet." Calleigh said.

"Cal, they would understand why." Ryan smiled.

"I know." She said.

"Now, let's get something to eat and then we'll go to the hospital." He smiled.

Calleigh nodded.

**-I-**

Jason Maxton walked with flowers in his hand towards the DNA lab. Valera's lab.

She was listening to music and didn't her him enter.

Jason sneaked up behind her and tickled her.

Valera shrieked and jumped ten feet up in the air. She turned around and saw Jason.

"Are you planning on getting yourself killed Jason?" She asked.

Jason grinned, "No my dear."

"Good, then don't tickle me." Valera said. She turned off her music.

"I brought flowers to you." He said and showed her the flowers.

"Oh, roses!" Valera smiled, "My favorite!"

"I know. I figured my queen could need some." Jason smiled.

Valera hugged and kissed Jason.

"Aww, you are so sweet Jason." She said.

Jason chuckled.

"You're sweeter." He said.

"You're the sweetest." Valera smiled.

"No you are Val."

"Nonsense Jason, you are."

"No, no, no, you most certainly are." Jason smiled.

"Jason, listen to me, you are the sweetest."

"Val, I'm serious. You are."

"If none you want to be the sweetest one, I'm be happy to be." Natalia said from the door.

"Jason is the sweetest." Valera smiled.

"No, Val, you are."

"Oh shut up you two." Natalia grinned.

"Alright, I admit it. I'm the sweetest." Valera grinned. Jason laughed.

"Shouldn't you be working Jason?" Nat asked.

"No, not today. I'm free today." He smiled.

"Great, so you can have lunch with me then?" Valera asked.

"Of course, that's why I came here." Jason smiled.

"It's only nine." Nat said.

"Well, breakfast is also something you need to eat." Valera smiled.

Nat chuckled.

"So Jason, how are Horatio and Joseph?" Natalia asked.

"They're doing fine. Horatio is getting better. Joseph is in a coma though." Jason said.

"He'll wake up." Valera said.

"I heard everything about the case." Jason said, "Ms Nevins seems to be a good attorney."

"Yeah, but its still going to be a though case in court." Natalia said.

"We'll get Raquel one day." Valera said, "Oh and Jason don't forget, we're meeting my parents next weekend."

"I haven't forgotten. I'm looking forward to it." Jason smiled.

Natalia laughed.

"I know, I know. I will get the shock of my life." Jason said.

"Just promise me, that you won't leave me because of my parents." Valera said.

"I will never leave you Val." Jason said,"I love you too much for that." He kissed her.

"Aww, what a sweet moment." Natalia smiled, "Let me get the camera."

"Nat, it's time for you to get a boyfriend." Valera chuckled.

"Do you have a brother Jason?" Natalia asked.

Jason laughed.

"No, I'm an only child." He said.

Natalia sighed.

"Does anyone in the lab have a brother?" She asked.

"Oh come on Nat, you know that Cooper does." Valera said.

"Yeah, but Val. His brother is fifteen." Natalia said.

"Really? Wasn't he the guy who fell into Alexx's pool last year at her barbeque?" Valera asked.

"No, I don't know who that was. Probably Cooper's cousin or something." Nat said, "You know Cooper has a big family. And I mean BIG."

"What kind of a guy do you want then?" Jason asked, "And how big family?"

"Cooper's family? I'm talking 20 cousins, 5 younger sister's and brothers. And god knows what else." She chuckled, "Oh you know the usual kind of guy. Someone with a big check book, big house, a private jet, a huge pool." She smiled.

"She wants a rich guy." Valera said.

"Yeah I got it." Jason chuckled.

"I'm just joking." Nat laughed.

"Now let's eat. I'm starving." Valera smiled, "Want to join us?" She asked Nat.

"Nah, I'm not hungry. I'll just let you two love birds have a moment alone." She grinned.

**-I-**

It was now two in the afternoon. Eric had gone by to the lab to ask for some leave of absence.

The chief had given him two weeks. But told Eric to come back if he noticed that he needed more time.

Everybody at PD was smiling. They were glad that their Lt was alive and doing quite well.

And that Raquel was going to trial.

Eric was in the lab. He had been talking a little with everyone. Everybody wanted to know how Horatio was doing. Of course they wanted to know how Joseph was doing as well. Since he was a member of their little family now.

Eric stood in one of the labs with Ryan, who was working on some trace from a quote old break and entering case.

He noticed Valera running around like crazy in the hallways. She ran down the hallway towards the bathroom, and then a few minutes later she came back and ran towards different places in the lab.

She was holding something, but Eric never got a good look at it.

That was until Valera opened the door and squirted water at both Eric and Ryan. Using a water pistol.

And it wasn't a bad water pistol either. It really made you soaking wet.

Valera laughed and left the lab.

"Now I know why everybody goes to the locker room and comes back with new clothes." Ryan said.

"Why is she squirting water at people?" Eric asked.

"She and Cooper are having a water war. Only Valera seems to have decided to make everybody else wet too." Ryan said, "What do you say we have some revenge?" He smirked.

Eric smiled, "If she wants a war, she's going to get one."

Pretty soon every lab tech and CSI were running around with water pistols and buckets.

The receptionist Lilly was the only one not in on it. She tried to explain to Chief Carlton that the people in the lab were not insane. The chief had come down to check on things and what he met was his employers running around with water. And slipping on the wet floor. They were all laughing like crazy and it seemed as if it were the lab techs against the CSI's.

He now stood and watched the show with a smile on his face at the receptionist desk.

He saw Ryan running with a bucket against Cooper, ready to throw it on him, but then in the last second slipping on the floor and getting all the water on himself.

He saw Valera trying to run away from Calleigh. Valera also kept on slipping on the floor, which made her even more wet. Finally, Calleigh caught up with her and squirted all the water she could at Valera.

Then Calleigh ran away getting some new water. While Valera tried to stand up, but failing.

Eric was sitting on a chair, sliding over the floor, while shooting water at every lab tech he could see.

He was the driest person of them all. But he still wasn't what you would call dry.

Ryan had now gotten a new bucket of water and was chasing lab tech Tracy towards the elevators.

What he didn't see was Frank coming out of the elevator at the exact same moment as he threw the water at Tracy.

Tracy, smart as she was, ducked. Making all Ryan's water hit Frank.

Ryan tried to stop himself from slipping, but just like everybody else, he failed. He slipped and slid across the floor right into Frank. Frank fell down on the floor. Now Frank was all wet as well, and furious.

Ryan stood up and ran away. He knew that he was in trouble now.

The chief laughed as Frank failed miserably to get up.

Frank cursed and after almost ten minutes, managed to stand up.

Only to get water all over him again by Calleigh.

Frank sighed and went to find Ryan. He borrowed Tracy's water pistol and filled it up wit water.

Ryan was hiding. He knew Frank wasn't going to kill him, but he would make him pay.

Luckily for Ryan, the chief called of the war before Frank could find him.

"Alright people! You've had your fun for while now." The chief said.

Everybody stopped and stood in front of the chief.

"Now you get to clean it all up." The chief smiled.

Everybody sighed. They knew that he was right. It wasn't fair to let the janitors clean it all up. No, they had created the mess and now they had to clean. It was only fair.

Frank smirked at Ryan.

"You won't be safe until I get my revenge." Frank said, "Be aware Ryan."

Ryan chuckled, "Frank, I didn't mean to throw the water on you." He said.

"But you did." Frank said, "And I want my vengeance." He smirked.

Ryan chuckled.

"Eric, you don't have to clean this up. Go and see H instead, or get some sleep, you look like you could need it." Calleigh said.

"Oh shit, I forgot all about H." Eric said.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Calleigh said, "You haven't done anything wrong."

Eric nodded.

"Ryan and I will come by later to visit him." Calleigh smiled.

"Alright, see you then." Eric said.

**-I-**

Horatio was awake when Eric entered his room.

"Hey." Eric smiled.

"Hey." Horatio smiled back.

"How are you feeling?" Eric asked.

"I've been better, but I don't feel like crap." Horatio said, "Are you alright? Is Joseph alright?"

"I'm okay. I'm so glad that you're okay." Eric smiled and kissed Horatio.

"Hey, I'm not leaving you." Horatio smiled.

Eric smiled, "I know, but I was so scared for a while there."

"Well, my love for you is what got me through it all." Horatio smiled, "It made me fight."

Eric smiled and kissed him again.

"Now, tell me… how's Joseph?" Horatio asked.

"He's in a coma." Eric said, "But we are all pretty sure that he'll wake up soon." He smiled.

"I think so too." Horatio said, "What have you been doing? You're all wet."

Eric laughed.

"There was a water war in the lab." Eric chuckled, "Everyone got wet!"

Horatio laughed slightly.

"I wonder what the chief will think about that." Horatio said.

"Oh, he knows. In fact he stood with Lilly and just watched." Eric grinned, "He laughed his butt off."

Horatio laughed, but stopped when he felt some pain in his chest and stomach.

"Take it easy H." Eric said.

"I wish I would have seen it." Horatio grinned, "Maybe I can get some copies of the surveillance tapes."

Eric chuckled.

"Calleigh and Ryan are coming by later." Eric said.

"Okay. Alexx left ten minutes before you come in here." Horatio said.

"Wow, she'll get a shock when she sees the lab." Eric grinned.

Horatio chuckled.

"When can I go home?" Horatio asked.

"Horatio! You've haven't even been here for two full days!" Eric said, "You can't leave yet.

Horatio grinned.

"I'll heal better at home with you." He said.

"I have no doubts about that. But H, you're not well enough yet." Eric said.

Horatio smiled, "I know." He yawned.

"You're tired. Get some sleep." Eric said.

"I want to sleep… with you." Horatio smirked.

Eric chuckled.

"As soon as you're well enough H. I promise you that I will drive you crazy." He smirked.

"Well, you can always try." Horatio yawned.

"Is that a bet?" Eric asked.

"Yes, you are a Delko, betting is in your nature." Horatio said.

"What do I get when I win?" Eric asked.

"IF. If you win… You'll get… a very wonderful treatment from me, and I'll wash your hummer for two weeks." Horatio said and yawned again.

"Sounds good. Now sleep." Eric smiled.

"What do I get if I win?" Horatio asked.

"You'll get… um… I will…" Eric realized that Horatio had fallen asleep. He grinned.

"You'll get a…" Eric said to himself. Trying to come up with an idea.

"Hmm… I… I will wash your hummer for two weeks and then I'll give you a sensual massage for a whole week. A very sensual massage." Eric smirked.

"Who are you taking to?" A voice said form the door.

Eric looked into the eyes of Ryan and blushed.

"Myself." Eric said.

"You're going to give yourself a sensual massage?" Ryan asked and sat down across from Eric.

"No, I'm going to give H a sensual massage if I lose a certain bet." Eric said.

Ryan chuckled, "What kind of a bet?"

Eric blushed.

"Wait don't tell me." Ryan smirked.

The door opened and Calleigh walked in.

"Now the lab is clean." She smiled.

"Already?" Eric asked.

"No." Ryan said, "But we left early."

Eric chuckled, "Too lazy to stick around?" He asked.

"No, no. But Valera and Cooper said that they had started it so they would clean it." Calleigh said.

"So everybody just left?" Eric asked.

"No, only Frank and us." Ryan said.

Eric chuckled.

The three of them talked for a few hours before Ryan and Calleigh left to go home.

"I left my cell phone in my lab Cal." Ryan said.

"Alright, we'll stop on the way, so you can go get it." Calleigh said.

She stopped the hummer outside the lab and saw Ryan run inside.

Ryan noticed that he was alone in the lab. He shrugged and went to get his cell phone.

Just as he opened the door to his lab, he felt water fall all over him.

He heard laughter and saw Frank run towards the elevators, laughing his butt off.

Ryan just stood there.

Frank had gotten his revenge. But Ryan now felt like it was his turn to vengeance Frank. He would not let Frank get away with this.

"Prepare yourself Frank, I'll have my vengeance." Ryan smirked.

**TBC…**


	15. Chapter 15

Ryan Ran away from Frank's desk. In a few minutes, Frank would arrive at PD and the first he'd do would be to sit down at his desk. And then Ryan would have his revenge from last night.

Ryan hid behind a wall. Several other detectives were there. But they wouldn't tell Frank about what Ryan had done. They started grinning as Frank arrived and walked towards his desk.

Frank hadn't been able to sleep last night. It wasn't because of a particular reason. It had just been one of those nights.

He was grumpy and tired. He didn't notice that his collogues was grinning at him.

He yawned and sat down in his chair. Only to jump up with a yell!

He must have jumped almost ten feet and screamed very loud. Everyone was quiet. Trying to stifle their laughter.

Frank turned around and looked at his chair. He saw two small needles sticking up. He could feel something stuck in his butt. He pulled out two more needles.

He growled.

"Wolfe! I know you're here you little fucker! And I'm going to have my revenge!" Frank yelled.

He removed the needles form his chair and sat down.

Nobody could suppress their laughter anymore. Frank kept on growling. Trying to figure out how to get revenge. Ryan obviously wasn't scared to mess with him. But he would be. Frank would make sure of that.

**--**

Ryan had fled out of the homicide department. He had been laughing all the way to the lab. Were he met up with his lovely Calleigh.

"Okay Ryan, what did you do?" Calleigh asked.

"I got my vengeance." Ryan smirked.

"You do know that Frank is going to kick your ass?" She asked.

"Yeah, I know. But I don't might. He and I are at war." Ryan grinned.

"Prepare to loose." Calleigh said.

"You don't think I can win?" Ryan asked.

Calleigh chuckled.

"Against Frank?" She asked, "No Ryan. The man is 6´4 feet tall, strong and grew up in desert."

"So?" Ryan asked.

"He's going win. But you know what?" Calleigh smiled, "Since you are my soon-to-be- husband. I will support you anyway." She kissed him.

"Thank you." Ryan smiled

**-I-**

Elena, Eric's sister, was currently visiting Horatio. While Eric got some sleep at home.

She was carrying three coffee cups; she was addicted to caffeine and could drink almost ten cups of coffee everyday. She had tried to get rid of her addiction, but had failed.

She was now walking through the hallways of Dade Memorial, carrying her cups, a big purse and four books about medicine. Elena was a big fan of medicine and had made herself a promise to read all the books about medicine in the entire world before she died. Right now, she had read 112 books.

She opened the door to Horatio's room with her elbow and slowly walked over to the chair on the left side of the bed.

She almost dropped all her things, but in the last second she managed to straighten up.

"Elena, you have a good balance." She said to herself. Though she was wrong. Just before she was about to sit down she tripped on the new cleaned floor. And fell down in sitting position. She only managed to save her beloved coffee cups from hitting the floor.

"Oh thank you god." She said.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about the library books?" A soft voice asked.

She looked up at Horatio.

"Horatio sweetie." Elena said, "These books don't get destroyed that easily."

"But you are more concerned about the coffee right?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah, well they mean a lot to me." She said as she stood up.

"Drinking ten cups of coffee everyday is not good for you." Horatio said.

Elena placed the books inside her purse and sat down.

"Yeah, well you try having four kids under the age of ten and then we can talk about my caffeine addiction." She smiled.

"But your kids are so calm. They can't be that hard to handle." Horatio smiled.

"They used to be easy. But then they discovered the joy of running around in the house and yelling." Elena said, "With their friends."

Horatio chuckled.

"Yeah go ahead and laugh Horatio." Elena smiled.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Horatio asked.

"No. I don't work today." Elena smiled, "It's my day off."

"It's my day off too." Horatio joked.

Elena laughed.

"Yeah, you'll be having days off for the next two weeks or so." She smiled, "But I bet you're not too happy about that."

"Are you kidding?" Horatio asked, "Two weeks at home? I'll be crawling on the walls."

"Eric will be with you." Elena said.

"Yeah, but he and I won't be able to do much." Horatio said.

"What are you guys planning on doing?" Elena asked, "Don't tell me."

Horatio chuckled.

"How's your dad?" Horatio asked.

"He's doing better. Jason thinks he'll wake up today actually." Elena smiled.

"Good." Horatio said, "I hope he makes full recovery."

"I do too."

"You look ill Elena."

"Well…" She said, "Alright, don't tell anyone else, but, I think I might be pregnant."

Horatio smiled at her.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yeah, I fell sick in the mornings and I have this feeling that I'm pregnant." Elena smiled, "I had the same feeling during my other pregnancies."

"How do you feel about it?" Horatio asked.

Elena sighed.

"I'm happy about it. But I also don't know if I want another child." She said.

"Is it because the four others are under ten or because you feel like you just have enough kids?" Horatio asked.

"I fell like I have enough." Elena said, "But I'll have to talk to my husband about it."

"Don't tell anyone yet. I will tell Eric and my sisters after I've talked to my husband." Elena said.

"I won't tell anyone." Horatio said.

"I know you won't." Elena smiled, "Are you psychic or something?" Elena asked.

"Not that I know."

"Because you always know when something is wrong." Elena smiled.

"Male intuition." Horatio shrugged.

Elena laughed.

"There is no such thing as a male intuition." She said, "Only female."

"How do you know that?" Horatio asked.

"Because you men are stupid."

Horatio laughed.

**-I-**

Ryan was on his way to the garage to get his hummer and drive to a crime scene.

But when he saw his car, he dropped his kit and just gaped at the sight.

The hummer wasn't broken and it didn't have any scratches on it.

It was green!

"But my.. How… why?… But this is…. My… hummer… how did he…?" Ryan said as the walked closer to his car.

"Oh my beautiful car!" Ryan said, "My precious hummer."

Frank and Calliegh walked out of the elevator. Frank laughed at the sight of Ryan hugging his car, or at least trying to hug it. Calleigh giggled at the sight of the green hummer.

"Frank how could you?" Ryan asked.

"It was easy. I just asked the department for the extra keys to the car and drove it to the paint shop." Frank said.

"But…" Ryan said, "Green?"

"You should be happy I didn't paint it pink." Frank smiled.

Calleigh chuckled.

"Come on "Grenie" we have a crime scene to get to." Frank smiled and got into his car.

Calleigh got into her hummer. Ryan just stood and looked at his car.

"This war just got a bit tougher." Ryan said and got into his car.

**-I-**

Trish sat with her father.

It was now late in the evening. Jason Maxton was sure that Joseph would wake up before the night was over. However, Trish had her doubts.

The news about Ryan's new car color had spread like a wild fire through both the department and the hospital.

Ryan had come earlier in the day to visit Horatio and several nurses and doctors had seen his car.

What Ryan didn't know though was that the color would go away as soon as water came in contact with it. All Ryan needed was a bit of rain. Or a car wash.

Of course, nobody had told him about it.

She heard a knock on the door and Jason walked in.

"Hi." He smiled.

"Hey Jason." Trish said.

"He's already half awake." Jason said.

"So he should wake up soon then?" Trish said.

Jason nodded.

"Good." Trish smiled.

Jason checked all the monitors before he left.

Trish sighed.

Then she felt someone squeeze her hand gently.

"Dad?" She asked and squeezed his hand.

Joseph groaned softly and opened one of his eyes.

"Dad!" Trish smiled.

_**TBC…**_

**AN: Please review! **


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: I made an error when I first posted this chapter. I completely forgot that it was Maxine Valera and not Valera Maxine, lol! Hopefully I corrected all those errors now.**

It had now been just little over a week since Joseph had woken up from his coma. He was recovering slowly, but fine. Horatio had also recovered a lot, but still wasn't allowed to leave the hospital.

Valera and Jason were on there way to Valera's parents. They would be spending three days in the Valera household.

Valera's parents lived in Washington DC.

"So, tell me more about your parents." Jason said. He and Valera were in a taxi, only a few minutes away from their destination.

"Like what?" Valera asked.

"Like what kind of persons they are. Are they open? Mean?" Jason asked.

"I told you they're the nicest people on earth." Valera smiled, "They're open, friendly, and maybe a bit too open actually. At least some people think they are."

"Will they remind me of you?"

"Maybe. I guess we have the same stubbornness and honesty." Valera said.

Jason smiled.

"Then I'm sure I'll like them." He said.

Valera smiled.

Soon the taxi pulled up outside a big white house. It had two floors and Jason though he spotted a glass house on the back yard.

"Alright, here we are." Valera smiled and paid the driver.

She and Jason walked up to a big door. Valera apparently had a key, and she opened the door.

Jason's eyes widened at the sight in front of him. The house was huge.

The ceiling was high and there were pictures from famous artist on the walls. As Valera gave him a tour. He noticed that every room in the entire house could have at least twenty taxi cars in them. Most of the walls were white and there was a BIG screen TV, a home movie system in a separate room, a lot of musical equipment and lots of other stuff that Jason would never afford.

"Pretty luxurious huh?" Valera asked once she and Jason had settled in the downstairs living room.

"Oh yeah, wow. Is your family rich?" Jason asked

"Yeah, a little bit. But we all live on old money that my great grandfather earned." Valera said, "How he got all the money I don't know though."

"And yet you live in a small apartment that's ready to fall apart?" Jason asked.

Valera smiled.

"I like my apartment." She said.

"Where's my little mischievous daughter?" A male voice yelled from the hallway.

Soon a brown haired man in a wheelchair came into the living room.

"There she is!" He smiled. Valera hugged the man.

"And you must be her boyfriend." The man said and shook Jason's hand.

"Yes, sir, Jason Maxton."

"We don't call each other sir or Ma'm around here, we're not that formal." The man smiled, "I'm Tom Valera."

"Well, then… Tom, nice to meet you." Jason said.

"Nice to meet you too Jason." Tom said, "I heard that you were a doctor."

"Yes, sir… um, Tom, I'm a doctor."

"Good! At least now we know Vally haven't brought home a junkie." Tom smiled, "Not that I care, as long as you have a good sense of humor and some courage inside of ya."

Jason smiled.

"Where's mom?" Valera asked.

"She's outside in the glass house. Having a session." Tom said.

Valera nodded and grabbed Jason's hand.

They walked out to a big glass house. Through the glass walls, Jason could see a bunch of people sitting or laying in different positions.

When he and Valera walked inside the glass house, he just stopped and gaped.

There were at least ten couples sitting in different sex positions, taken from the Karma Sutra book.

"I told you my mom was a sex therapist." Valera said when she saw Jason's shocked look.

It was a woman who looked just like Valera, but older, that led the whole thing.

"They don't mind that we're watching?" Jason asked.

"No." Valera said, "She's never had any people over here that are ashamed of going to her sessions."

"Vally!" The older copy of Valera said.

"Hi mom." Valera smiled.

The woman hugged her daughter and then looked at Jason.

"Hi, I'm Elisa." Elisa said and pulled Jason into a hug. Jason hugged back hesitantly.

"Jason Maxton." He said.

"Well, well, well, Jason Maxton. Dr Jason, right?"

Jason nodded.

"My session is over soon, and then we'll have some coffee." Elisa smiled.

Valera nodded and she and Jason left.

"Shocked?" Valera asked, once she and Jason were alone in the back yard.

"A little yes." Jason admitted.

"Want to run away?"

"No, no. Not at all." Jason smiled.

"Well, I did warn you." Valera smiled.

"I know, but hearing and seeing are two different things." Jason said.

"Well, I might as well warn you that my mother is not ashamed about asking people about their sex lives. And my father will take you out on all sorts of adventures." Valera grinned.

"And what should I answer if they ask anything strange?"

"Well, you answer whatever you feel like. If you're lucky enough to get some room to answer." Valera smiled, "Mom and Dad practically never stop talking."

Jason nodded.

**-I-**

Eric smiled at his father as he walked into his room.

"Hey dad, how are you today?" He asked.

"Fine." Joseph said.

"You sound just like H."

Joseph laughed, "I do?"

"Yeah, he says that all the time." Eric smiled.

"Even to you?"

"No, not since we got together. But before that he said it all the time. He still does sometimes to the other." Eric said.

"I've been thinking Eric." Joseph said, "About you."

"Or more specifically about my sexual orientation, right?" Eric asked.

Joseph nodded.

"I'm just curious as to how you suddenly figured out that you were gay."

"Well, to be honest I'm not completely gay. I am bisexual, with a very strong leaning towards gay. So I just say I'm gay." Eric said.

"But you dated Natalia once?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah, for a short while." Eric said.

Joseph looked confused. Eric sighed.

"Dad. I have loved Horatio since the first time I saw him. It was the first time I had ever fallen for a man." Eric said, "At first I refused to believe it was love. But after a while I couldn't deny it."

"And the only man you ever wanted to date was him, right?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah. I knew that I could only love him with all of my heart. But I had no idea that he was gay. And I didn't plan on telling him. I though that he and I could never be together." Eric said, "So, I dated women."

"Until that night when he told you that he felt the same." Joseph said.

Eric nodded.

"I have found myself." Eric said, "And I wasn't a whole person before I met H."

"You're friends must be jealous." Joseph smiled, "Jealous that you can have such strong love and affection for each other."

"Well, most of them have found their true love as well." Eric smiled.

Joseph nodded.

"How is Horatio by the way?" He asked.

"Cranky. He wants to leave the hospital, but his doctor Jason has made it clear to everyone that he is not allowed to leave until after the weekend."

"But he can't still be in a bad condition can he?" Joseph asked, "I understand how I can be, considering that I'm over 60."

"No, but he has a fever." Eric said, "The doctors are just being cautious."

"Well, that's good. I bet he would run right back to work if they let him leave now." Joseph chuckled.

"No way. I'm going to make sure that he doesn't leave the house unless it absolutely necessary." Eric smiled.

"But you're leave of absence is running out soon."

"Yeah, but I'll just take some more." Eric said.

"Have Elena told you?" Joseph asked.

"About the baby, yes." Eric said.

Joseph nodded, "That's good. I'm going to be a grandfather again." He smiled.

Eric smiled.

"And I get one more kid to baby sit."

"Since when have you been baby sitting?" Joseph asked.

"You don't think I do that?"

"No, you leave them all to Calleigh to take care of." Joseph grinned.

"I used to." Eric said, "Not anymore. But then again it was a while since I had to baby sit."

Joseph nodded.

"You know, you always ran away from your duties when you were a kid." Joseph grinned.

"I wanted to do other things than clean my room and take care of the dishes." Eric said.

"Yeah, it must have been really hard to do that four times a month." Joseph grinned.

"It was." Eric smiled, "It wasn't good for my brain to do all that." Eric joked.

Joseph chuckled.

**-I-**

It was dinnertime at the Valera household.

The food on the table was enough to feed eight people. And there were only four present.

"You haven't been dating very long." Elisa said, "But you have already brought him home to meet us." She smiled at Valera.

"Yeah, that's unusual for you Vally." Tom said.

"Vally?" Jason asked.

"Well hello genius, they've been calling me that all day." Valera said, "It's their nickname for me."

"It's only because that's what she thought her name was when she was a kid." Tom smiled, "She refused to believe that her surname was Valera until she turned nine. No one really calls her Maxine."

Jason chuckled.

"So she was stubborn back then too?" He asked.

"Oh yeah!" Tom chuckled, "My little girl made sure that things were done her way."

"You'll have your hands full with her." Elisa grinned.

"I already have." Jason smiled.

Valera smacked his head.

"Tomorrow Jason, I'll take you out on a race you'll never forget." Tom grinned.

"It's a wheelchair race right?" Jason asked, "Val told me about it."

Tom grinned.

"Yeah, you might want to bring an extra pair of pants, ´cause you'll be shitting your pants tomorrow." Tom laughed.

"Tom is a crazy. But don't you worry Jason, I'm calm as can be." Elisa smiled.

"Yeah, what exactly do you teach during your sessions?" Jason asked.

"I teach everybody to open up their sensual senses." Elisa smiled, "I bring the spark back in dead relationships."

"She teaches old people mostly." Tom said.

"And you're not embarrassed at all? Aren't they embarrassed?" Jason asked.

"No, dear Jason. People shouldn't embarrassed about sex. In fact we should be glad that that we have our type of "Mating rituals". Animals have far more boring ones." Elisa said.

"Like the fish for example. First mama fish comes to a place and leave her eggs. Then papa fish comes, a long time later, and give the eggs milk or whatever it is they eat." Tom said, "And that's it."

"Boring isn't it?" Elisa said, "You see Jason, I don't want people to be ashamed about sex. Let's face it; we all have it at some point."

Jason nodded.

"I never really thought about it that way. Is that why you have so many people in one group?" He asked, "So that they see that there not the only ones who have problems or who wants to explore something new?"

Elisa smiled.

"Yes, that's exactly why." She said, "I think it's good."

They all talked more about their lives until midnight. Then they retreated to their rooms.

"They're cool." Jason said, "I like them."

He and Valera were getting ready for bed.

"Yeah, that's what all my previous friends and boyfriends have said too." Valera said.

"Val, maybe the reason that you find them embarrassing and crazy are because they're your parents." Jason said.

Valera chuckled.

"I love my parents." She smiled, "All I'm saying is that by the time we leave this place you won't find them so cool anymore."

Jason smiled, "I don't believe you."

"Dad will scare the shit out of you tomorrow."

**--**

The first thing that Tom did to scare Jason was to open the door to his and Valera's bedroom at 6 am. Then he rushed inside with his wheelchair with honk, "Good morning!" He exclaimed.

Jason almost jumped out of his own skin when he saw Tom laughing like a maniac, wearing a helmet and honking.

"Good morning Jason, are you ready for today's adventure?" Tom asked.

Jason yawned.

"It's six am Tom." He said.

"I know, a perfect time for a race, don't you think?" Tom smiled and left the room.

Valera hadn't moved yet.

"Val, is he serious?" Jason asked. She didn't answer, so he shook her a little.

Valera stirred.

"What is it Jason?" She asked.

"You didn't wake up from the honking and yelling?" He asked.

"No, I knew dad would do that." Valera said, "I grew up with them you know."

"And you couldn't have told me?"

"Ops. Now get dressed and have fun today." She smiled and went back to sleep.

Jason sighed.

He got up and got dressed.

He found Tom outside the front of the house. Next to Tom's wheelchair was another wheelchair.

"This is your wheelchair for today." Tom smiled.

Jason nodded and sat down in it. Tom gave him a helmet.

"Now just follow me." Tom said and started leaving the house.

It didn't take long to reach their destination. After only a few minutes Jason and Tom were standing at the bottom of a slope. Jason gaped at what he saw.

The slope had several cones placed out, a ramp, a small wooden stair, and a long tunnel.

"This is my own slope." Tom smiled, "This is where I do my own little stunts sometimes."

"Now, this is how it goes. You do slalom around the cones, then you go up on the ramp and just jump down, it's a small ramp so you won't get hurt. Then you go up the stairs and then down on the other side. And at last you go through the tunnel and get as fast as you can to the finish line." Tom said.

"I'm going to die." Jason said.

"Oh no you won't." Tom chuckled, "I've done this hundreds of times. And all I got out of it was two broken ribs and a serious concussion."

Jason gaped at Tom.

Tom smiled, "Jason, I have a safety line for you." He said, "It's attached to a tree at the top of the slope."

Jason nodded.

Tom and Jason then took some sort of elevator up to the top. Tom put the safety line on Jason.

"You built this all by yourself?" Jason asked.

"No, Vally helped me." Tom smiled, "Its' been here for almost fifteen years Jason."

Jason nodded.

"Ready?" Tom asked.

Jason could only nod.

Tom grinned and gave a little push down the slope, just to make sure that Jason wouldn't chicken out.

Tom went after Jason.

Jason's face was white as ghost and he was certain that he was going to die.

He saw the cones coming closer and knew that he had to get some sort of control over the wheelchair. He reached down to grab the wheels. He didn't get a good grip, but he managed to turn a little.

He managed to get pass four cones out of twelve. The rest he just drove over.

He could hear Tom laughing behind him.

What Jason didn't know was that Tom's safety line made sure that the wheelchair kept a certain pace. A pace that wasn't actually faster then a ten-year-old kid that runs around on flat ground.

However, to Jason it seemed as if was much faster.

He now got closer to the ramp and noticed that it was indeed very small.

But Jason was still scared as hell. He managed to survive the ramp and now made his way towards the wooden stair. Jason was covering his eyes. He shrieked when his wheelchair started shaking. He knew he was on the stairs. Then it stopped and the only thing left now was the tunnel. Which couldn't really be that bad. It was just a tunnel.

So Jason relaxed a little and went inside the very long tunnel. Only to realize that someone had placed a thin bag of flour inside. It was hanging from the tunnel roof and when Jason's head hit it, all the flour fell down on him.

Soon Jason saw sunlight again and it didn't take long before he reached the finish line.

The safety line made sure that the wheelchair stopped.

Jason was panting and he could hear his own pulse in his ears.

Tom stopped next to him, laughing his ass off.

"You know, take a look at the slope now." Tom laughed.

Jason looked. And saw that the whole thing really wasn't that bad. The slope wasn't very big and all the objects in it were so small it was almost ridiculous.

Tom kept on laughing.

"I've never been so afraid in my entire life." Jason said.

Tom just laughed, "You win." He smiled.

**-I-**

It was Saturday afternoon. Jason was still shaky from the wheelchair race.

Tom had been laughing all day about it.

Now Jason and Valera were walking in a park not far from Tom and Elisa's house.

"So you survived the race, that's good." Valera smiled.

Jason chuckled.

"It sure was scary." He said, "But when I looked at the slope after the race. I noticed that it really wasn't that bad."

"You know I used to race against my father when I was a kid." Valera smiled.

"What made you stop?"

"I don't know. I guess I lost my interest for it." She said, "For many years I blamed my parents for scaring my friends away."

"Every time I brought someone home they would test their fear and make complete fools out of themselves." She sighed.

"But you love them anyway." Jason smiled.

Valera nodded.

"Yes. I do." She smiled, "And I'm so happy that you're still here."

"Valera, even if your parents would have freaked me out, I still wouldn't have left you." Jason smiled.

Valera smiled and kissed him.

"Jason, we've only been together for little over a month." She said.

"Yeah?"

"But I haven't met your parents yet." She said.

Jason sighed.

"I know." He said sadly.

"Jason, if you don't want me to meet them, then…"

"No, Val!" He said, "I want you to meet them. But it's just that they live in China so."

Valera chuckled.

"I thought that they were bad people or something!" She laughed and smacked Jason.

Jason laughed.

"I tricked you didn't I?" He smiled.

"Yeah, you did."

"Seriously Val. They live in China. I've told them about you over the phone. But I don't have the money to come and visit them and they're not planning on coming back to America yet." Jason said.

"Not even for a quick visit?"

"No, but they said that they were happy for me." Jason smiled, "And I sent them a picture of you by e-mail."

Valera smiled and kissed Jason again.

Then they heard to familiar voices.

They started chuckling as they saw Elisa and Tom coming towards them.

"Hey there they are!" Tom said, "You two lovebirds ran away huh?"

"I hope we're not interrupting?" Elisa asked.

"No, not at all. But don't you have a session mom?" Valera asked.

"In one hour. Do you want to take part in it?" She asked.

Jason looked at Valera.

"Jason, if you survived the race you can certainly survive one of her sessions." Tom smiled.

Jason nodded, "Alright, then I guess we'll join you."

"Great! Now let's have some dinner." Elisa smiled.

**--**

Jason had thought that he and Valera would take part in Elisa's session. However, Valera had managed to escape somewhere and now Jason was standing in the glass house, with eleven other people that he didn't know and with Tom grinning at him from the door.

And on this particular day, the day that he had decided to join in, the group was an uneven number. That was of course until he had joined them. There were five couples there and one single woman. The single woman was usually at the session with her husband, but today he was ill and was forced to stay at home.

Now Jason was paired together with this woman, who was about fifty years older than him.

"Alright people, let's start with _The Swastika, _women extend your left leg, encircle the mans waist with your right leg, lay your ankle across your left thigh, and you men do the same thing." Elisa said.

Jason's face was red as a cherry. The others in the group had obviously tried The swastika before, because they were already done, while Jason was still struggling.

Tom was laughing from the door.

After a few minutes Jason and his partner were done. And Elisa moved on.

**-I-**

Sunday evening. Calliegh and Ryan were going to pick up Jason and Valera from the airport.

Their flight was ten minutes late.

"How do you think it went?" Ryan asked.

"Well, if it went bad Valera would have called and asked me to kill her parents or maybe kill Jason." Calleigh said.

"She would do that?" Ryan asked.

"No dummy." Calleigh said, "But she'd call me and be pissed as hell."

After a few minutes, Jason and Valera met up with Calleigh and Ryan. They were now in the hummer on their way to Jason's apartment.

"So what did you get to do Jason?" Cal asked.

Jason sighed.

"I was in this wheelchair race, I took part in one of Elisa's therapy sessions, I went bungee jumping with Tom into a giant aquarium with piranhas and then I had to listen to Valera's parents talk about how they met and all the things they did." Jason said.

Calleigh, Ryan and Valera laughed.

"But they didn't scare you away?" Ryan asked.

"No, I like them." Jason said, "But the bungee jumping was scary. I mean I didn't even know that something like that existed."

"Bungee jumping?" Ryan asked.

"No, bungee jumping into a piranha infested aquarium." Jason said, "I think I got bitten over thirty times."

"But only small bites though." Valera smiled.

"Yeah, but it was scary. And I did all this in just two days." He said.

"Friday and Saturday?" Calliegh asked.

"Yeah." Jason said.

"We just took it easy this morning before we had to leave." Valera said.

"So, you could visit them again?" Ryan asked.

Jason nodded, "Yeah, at least then I'll know what kind of adventures I could prepare for." He said.

Valera smiled and gave Jason a kiss.

In fact, her parents hadn't been as crazy as she had thought. And Jason hadn't run away. She had expected them to be far more open and curious than they had been.

She knew that she and Jason would have many happy years in front of them, and through those years, she wouldn't have to visit her parents alone.

_**TBC…**_


	17. Chapter 17

"Can't I at least work at the lab for a few hours?"

"No!" Eric said, "For the hundred time Horatio. You're on sick leave for a week, and that's shorter than usual."

Horatio had been allowed by Jason to go home. When Jason had come back on Monday Horatio had started to nag him about going home. Now it was Tuesday and Horatio had convinced Jason that he only needed to be home for a week, rather then the two weeks that Jason had wanted.

Now, Horatio was nagging Eric about going to work.

"A few hours, please." Horatio said.

"No, a few hours for you is working from seven to three." Eric said, "You and I are going to be home and just enjoy ourselves."

"You better have planned something good for one week if you want me to stay put." Horatio grinned.

"If you move an inch outside the house, I'll call Alexx." Eric threatened.

"I can't even go out on the porch? Or the beach?"

Eric chuckled.

"No, you can do that. But don't try to sneak away."

"Would I do something like that?" Horatio asked and looked at Eric with puppy dog eyes.

Eric gave him a playful glare.

"You will be punished if you try." He grinned.

"Then I will definitely try."

Eric laughed.

It seemed as if Joseph was going to be discharged tomorrow. Eric and Horatio had offered him to stay with them. However, Joseph had insisted on staying with Miguel, Eric's uncle.

Joseph didn't want Eric to take care of both him and Horatio.

He knew that just trying to keep Horatio inside the house would be hard enough for his son.

"H, are you in pain?" Eric asked. Horatio was shifting a lot in his seat.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just really bored right now."

Eric chuckled.

"I thought you loved driving a car." Eric said.

"Yeah, _driving _a car Eric, driving, not sitting in the passenger seat." Horatio said, "Can I drive?"

"No my impatient little red head." Eric grinned, "You can't drive until we have to get back to work."

"Can we at least put the sirens on?"

"You sound like a kid." Eric laughed.

"Deep inside of ourselves we are all kids." Horatio smiled, "And when we get bored that childish behavior comes to the surface."

"Really? You've been bored many times H and you've never been like this."

"Okay, I admit it. I'm bored, I want to play with you, and the nurses gave me morphine." Horatio grinned.

Eric chuckled.

After a few minutes, he pulled up on the driveway home.

He helped Horatio get out of the car, because even though Horatio liked to think so, he wasn't twelve years old at the moment. The bullets had caused a lot of damage and he was supposed to take it easy.

Horatio completely forgot about that as he pinned Eric against the wall as soon as they came inside the house.

He kissed him deeply and his body pressed against him.

"H." Eric said as their lips parted, "Remember that Jason told you to take it easy. Especially today."

Horatio grinned.

"I am taking it easy."

"No, this is not taking it easy."

"I thought you wanted to play a little too?" Horatio asked.

"Yes, but Jason said that you shouldn't do anything at all… today." Eric moaned as Horatio kissed his neck.

"Well, Jason isn't here is he?"

Eric moaned.

"Let's take a shower." Horatio grinned and dragged Eric to the shower.

**-I-**

"Ryan!"

Ryan stirred.

"Ryan! Wake up dammit!" Calleigh growled.

Ryan yawned and sat up in the bed. He saw Calleigh getting dressed.

"Cal, honey, what's going on?" He asked.

"We're late." She said, "Again."

"Late? Isn't it Saturday?" Ryan asked.

"Ryan get your head out of your ass! Wake up dammit! We picked up Jason and Valera from the airport two days ago, that was on a Sunday. We went to work yesterday, which was Monday. So today must be Tuesday!" Calleigh growled and threw pants, trousers and a shirt at him.

"Get dressed and out of bed." She said.

Ryan looked at the clock. It was ten already. He and Calleigh were two hours late for work.

He sighed and got out of bed.

"You're not dressed yet?" Calleigh asked.

"Cal, I just got out of bed." Ryan said.

Calleigh sighed and went into the bathroom.

Ryan started getting dressed.

He tripped as he was putting his trousers on.

Calleigh came out from the bathroom.

"Hurry up Ryan." She said.

"Calleigh, it's not the end of the world you know." He smiled, "Sometimes it's good to be late."

"No, it isn't. Not when it's two hours." She growled.

Ryan sighed.

Once he was fully dressed, Calleigh practically dragged him out their apartment.

Ryan was chuckling the whole time. Until he saw his hummer.

His hummer was still green.

"Ryan, I know that you're still sad about your hummer. But please just forget about it now." Calleigh growled.

Ryan got into the hummer and drove to work.

"I love my hummer." He said.

"I know, Ryan."

"I want the green paint to go away."

"Go to a car wash." Calleigh said.

"That's all I need to do?"

"Yeah, hasn't anybody told you that?" Calleigh asked.

Ryan shook his head.

"Oh, well, that's all you need to do."

Ryan sighed. So he had been driving around in his green hummer for days thinking that the color would never vanish? And all he had needed to do was to drive to a car wash.

Then he came up with a brilliant idea on how get back at Frank and clean his car at the same time.

As soon as Ryan parked the car at the PD, Calleigh ran towards the elevator. Ryan followed slowly behind her.

"Late again?" Frank asked Calleigh and Ryan when they arrived at the reception.

Calleigh nodded.

"We were sleeping." Ryan said.

"Ryan, I told you I don't need to hear things like that. It's a bit too much information." Frank said.

"I don't mean it like that Frank. We were just sleeping that's all." Ryan said.

"Yeah, and I told you that it's too much information." Frank said.

"Too much information?"

"Yeah, not all of us want to know that shit." Frank said.

Calleigh sighed.

"Frank! I don't mean sleeping as in having sex, I mean sleeping as in that we overslept." Ryan said.

"And you overslept because you had sex." Frank said, "Which is something I don't want to know."

"I never said that!" Ryan said, "Now you just assumed."

"Well, why else would you oversleep?" Frank asked.

Calleigh chuckled and left the two men alone.

"Frank, have you ever heard of just forgetting to turn the alarm on, or sleeping through it?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, but you and Calleigh don't do stuff like that." Frank said.

"Yes we do." Ryan said.

"Ryan… I'm messing with you." Frank grinned.

"I know." Ryan said, "Oh and by the way, I want you to wash my car."

Frank chuckled.

"So somebody told you how to get rid of the paint huh?"

"Yeah, and I want you to take care of it." Ryan grinned.

"Why would I?" Frank asked, "It's you car."

"Yeah, but seeing my hummer green almost broke my heart."

"What would happen if I painted Calleigh green?" Frank asked, "How would you react then?"

"Very funny Frank." Ryan said, "Just wash my car during lunch."

"Alright, alright." Frank grinned.

**-I-**

Valera was sitting in one of the booths in the ladies room. She was holding a certain stick. And she couldn't stop staring at it.

_This can't be right. Do I want it to be right? _She thought.

"Valera, are you in here?" She heard Calleigh ask.

Valera sighed.

"Valera?"

"Yes, Calleigh I'm here." She said.

"I've been looking for you." Cal said.

Valera put the stick away and opened the booth door.

"Are you okay?" Cal asked.

Valera nodded.

"Why are you looking for me?" She asked.

"I wanted to know if you got a match on the DNA in the rape case." Calleigh asked.

"Oh right, sorry Cal. I've been here for a while." Valera said.

"Are you sick?"

"No, I'm fine." Valera smiled, "I'll see if I can find a match on the DNA."

Valera quickly left the ladies room.

Calleigh stood behind; she knew something was up with Valera.

Valera hurried through the hallways back to her lab.

She started working with all the DNA evidence that she had, but she couldn't quite focus. Her mind was somewhere else.

_Do I want this? What do I say to Jason? And everybody else? _She thought.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear or see Alexx enter her lab.

_I have to do another test. But I've done three already. Oh my god! What do I do now?_

"Valera honey." Alexx said.

Valera snapped out of her thoughts and stared at Alexx.

_Did I talk out loud? _

"What's going on?" Alexx asked.

"What… what do you mean Alexx?"

"Honey, you can't fool me. I know something is wrong." Alexx said.

Valera sighed.

"What did Calleigh say to you?" She asked.

"Just that you looked sick. And she was right." Alexx said, "You look sick Valera."

"I'm not sick."

"But something has happened." Alexx said.

Valera nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alexx asked.

"I don't know what to say." Valera said.

"Just tell me the truth. Tell me what's going on."

Valera sighed.

"Alexx… I'm pregnant."

_**TBC…**_

**AN: Please review! **


	18. Chapter 18

"Pregnant?" Alexx asked.

Valera nodded.

"I haven't been feeling sick. But I missed my period. So I did a test." She said, "It was postive. I couldn't believe it, so I did two more. the last one just about thirty minutes ago."

Alexx smiled.

"Wow. I never though I'd live to see the day when Maxine Valera got pregnant." She smiled.

Valera chuckled.

"But I'm so scared though." She said.

"Why?" Alexx asked, "Are you scared about what Jason is going to say?"

"Yeah, but also if I'm ready for a baby." Valera said, "I never imagined that I would have a family like that."

"Well, honey." Alexx said, "You need to think about this and you need to tell Jason."

Valera nodded.

"I know Alexx. But what if he doesn't want a baby? We haven't been together very long yet."

"I think Jason wants a child. He's a family man." Alexx said, "Congratulations honey."

Alexx smiled and gave Valera hug.

"Is everything alright?" Calleigh asked from the doorway.

Valera smiled.

"Yeah, Cal. I'm just having a baby that's all." She said.

Calleigh gaped at Valera.

"A baby? A real baby?" She asked.

"No Cal, a plastic one." Valera joked.

Calleigh shriked and hugged Valera.

"Oh my god!" She grinned, "You're going to be mama!"

"Hey, are you guys having a party or what?" Natalia asked as she entered the lab.

"Valera is having a baby Nat!" Calleigh shrieked.

"You are?" Nat asked.

Valera nodded.

Natalia smiled and hugged her friend.

"Oh we have to start thinking about names! And I have to prepare for the baby shower!" Calleigh smiled.

"Cal, honey. It's at least eight months or so left." Alexx said.

"Guys. Please don't tell anyone yet." Valera said.

The girls looked at her.

"I just have to figure out if I'm ready for this. Okay? Let me think about it." Valera said.

The girls nodded. Valera smiled.

"Okay, I've thought about." She said, "I'll tell Jason tonight."

"That was fast." Alexx chuckled.

Calleigh looked at Valera's belly.

"I can't believe it. You, Valera, one of my best friends, who is one of the thoughest girls on earth, is having a baby." She said.

Valera chuckled, "I know, it's pretty amazing."

"Jason is going to pass out." A male voice said heard from the doorway.

All the girls turned around and looked at Ryan.

"What?" He asked, "You need to learn how to speak quiet."

"So you heard us huh?" Alexx asked.

"Yeah, the whole lab did." Ryan said, "Congratulations Valera." He smiled.

"Thanks you all." She smiled, "And Jason isn't going to pass out Ryan."

Ryan laughed.

"Yes he is."

"And how do you know that?" Nat asked.

"Gut feeling."

"Wanna bet?" Calleigh asked.

"Ten bucks." Ryan smiled.

"Make it thirty."

"You're on Cal." Ryan smiled and gave his soon-to-be- wife a kiss.

Throughout the day lab techs congratulated Valera.

She had asked everybody to not mention anything until Jason had found out. Jason shouldn't have to find out that he was going to be father from anyone other than Valera.

**-I-**

Eric snuggled against Horatio in their bed.

The doctor's rules had been broken. Horatio was not planning on resting at all during his one week on sick leave.

"H. You have really saved up alot of eneyrgy during your hospital stay haven't you?" Eric asked.

Horatio shrugged, "Maybe a little bit."

Eric chukled.

"Well, we broke Jason's rules." He said.

"But Jason isn't going to fnd out." Horatio grinned.

"But if you don't rest. you won't heal, and then Jason will know that you've broken his rules."

"We're resting now." Horatio grinned.

"Yeah, after two hours of hot love making." Eric said.

"We both needed that." Horatio smiled, "After almost two weeks at a hospital with all sorts of medicine pumped into me and nurses checking up on you every haf hour, I think it's only fair that we got to have som fun."

Eric chukled.

"Alright, but no more."

"Oh like you don't want to do it again." Horatio said.

"I do, but I am also thinking about you." Eric said, "And the last thing we both want is for you to be hospitalized again."

Horatio sighed.

"You're right." He said.

Eric smiled and kissed Horatio softly.

"Now, let's go watch a movie." Horatio smiled.

"Can't we just stay in bed for the rest of the day?" Eric asked.

"Of course we can."

**-I-**

Ryan looked at his hummer. He had twenty minutes to figure out how to get back at Frank, before his lunch started.

Ryan had thought about just rolling down all the windows. But Frank would notice that when he drove the car.

Then he suddenly thought of something else. It was sort of a long shot, but he had to try it.

"Ryan, can I get your car keys please." He heard Frank's voice from behind him.

Ryan turned around. He smiled and gave Frank his car keyes.

"I'll be back in thirty minutes or so, and your precious little hummer will be as good as new." Frank said.

Ryan nodded and watched Frank get in the car and drive away.

As soon as Frank was out of his view, he took out a set of keyes from his pocket. It was Calleigh's keyes.

He had convicned her that he would need her hummer during lunch to drive around in, since his hummer would be with Frank.

He quickly got into her hummer and drove after Frank.

Frank had no idea that he was being followed. He stopped outside the car wash. It was just one car before him in the line, and then all the green paint would disappear from Ryan's sweet little hummer.

Ryan had driven his car around on the other side of the car wash. So now he stood outside the exit.

As soon as the car infront of Frank was finished with his wash and drove out. Ryan ran inside and placed his gun on the floor, right in the middle between the water sprays.

He then ran outside. And luckily Frank didn't see him.

Frank stopped the car inside the wash and waited for the the whole thing to begin.

Then he noticed something on the floor infront of his car.

"Is that gun?" He asked himself.

He got out of the hummer and kneeled down next to the gun.

He picked it up. At the same time that he picked the gun up, he got soaked with water.

And it was alot of water!

Frank dropped the gun and tried to stand up. The floor however was so wet that he tripped and fell.

He muttered to himself and stood up again.

The water sprays had moved away form him and was currently washing the hummer.

Frank was dripping of with water. He picked the gun up and walked back to the hummer.

As soon as he opened the door to get in, the water sprays came back and soaked both him and the inside of the hummer.

Frank once again tripped on the wet floor.

As soon as the water sprays went passed him, he stood up and hurried inside the car.

The seat was wet. He was wet and he saw that the gun was a nine millimeter.

He knew who had placed the gun inside the car wash.

"Very clever Wolfe." He muttered, "Very clever."

**-I-**

Valera was pacing in her living room. She was nervous. Tonight she was going to tell Jason that he was going to be a father.

And then she'd have to call around to all her friends and her parents and tell them the good news.

She heard her door open. Jason had a key to her apartment and she had a key to his.

"Hey sweetie." He smiled and gave Valera a kiss.

"Sit down." She said.

"No, I'll stand. What's going on honey?" He asked.

Valera sighed.

"Alright, I know we haven't been dating very long." She said.

"You want to break up?" Jason asked.

"No silly." Valera said, "I feel like we are soulmates and I love you very very much."

"I love you too." Jason smiled.

Valera gave a small smile back.

"But now, I have some news for you. And I hope that you don't freak out."

"I won't freak out." Jason smiled.

"Don't be so sure of that." Valera said.

"Val, whatever it is, you can tell me."

Valera sighed.

"Alright... Jason?"

Jason nodded.

"Jason, my sweet doctor." Valera smiled.

Jason nodded again.

"I'm pregnant."

Jason gaped at Valera. The he suddenly turned white and tried to get a hold of the wall.

"Jason?!" Valera shrieked.

Jason had passed out. It looked as if Ryan was going to get his thirty dollars from Calleigh.

_**TBC...**_


	19. Chapter 19

"Jason." Valera said and gently caressed his cheek.

Jason stirred and opened his eyes.

"Hi." He smiled.

"Hi honey." Valera said.

"A baby huh?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, we're going to have a baby." Valera smiled.

"Will you move in with me?"

Valera looked suprised at Jason.

"Really?" She asked.

Jason nodded.

"Aboslutely. I want us to live under the same roof." Jason smiled.

Valera shrieked and hugged Jason. He laughed and kissed her softly.

"How far are you?" Jason asked.

"I don't know." Valera said, "I'll book a meeting with a gynecologist first thing tomorrow."

"I want to be with you on every meeting." Jason said.

"Well of course dummy." Valera smiled and kissed Jason, "Now I have to call everyone you and I know and tell them the good news!" She grinned.

**-I-**

The next morning the team surrounded Valera at the reception.

"Hey, Valera, how did Jason take the good news?" Ryan asked.

"He took it like a real trooper." She said.

Calleigh grinned at Ryan.

"Looks like I'm thirty bucks richer." She said.

"He passed out." Valera grinned.

Ryan laughed out loud.

"You're not rich anymore." He grinned. Calleigh slapped his head.

"Hey, how are the wedding plans going?" Eric asked Calleigh and Ryan.

"We have to try on the clothes on Saturday." Calleigh said.

Valera shrieked.

"This is so cool!" She smiled, "You're getting married, and Elena and I are pregnant."

Calleigh smiled, "I know it's great!"

"Ryan, just the man I'm looking for." Frank smirked.

"Hey Frank, did you get a good shower yesterday?" Ryan asked.

Everybody looked confused at Frank and Ryan.

"He got a little shower in the car wash yesterday." Ryan explained, "I told him to get the green paint away from my car."

"So you admit that it was you who placed the gun infront of my car?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, I can't deny doing something so clever." Ryan grinned.

"It wasn't clever." Frank said.

"How exactly did you get wet?" Eric asked, "Did you...?"

Eric started laughing.

"He did." Ryan chuckled.

"Did what?" Natalia asked.

"He went out of the car to pick up the gun. Even though he knew that the hummer was about to get washed." Ryan laughed.

Everyone except Frank was laughing. Frank sighed.

"Alright, that was a stupid thing to do." He said, "But I will get back at you."

"Why are you having this war?" Natalia asked.

"Because... well... um..." Ryan said.

"Well, that's a good reason isn't it?" Valera smiled.

"It's fun." Ryan said.

"It's serious business too." Frank said.

"And it all started when Ryan accidently threw water at you, right Frank?" Calleigh asked

Frank nodded.

"When are you going to stop?" Natalia asked.

"Never." Frank said, "Not until Ryan gives up."

"Which I never will." Ryan said.

"As a true Delko, I'd like to start a bet about all of this right here, right now." Eric grinned.

"Alright, twenty bucks that Ryan will give up first." Valera said.

"No way. Forty bucks that Ryan will win." Calleigh said.

Everybody except Ryan and Frank started betting.

"It looks like everybody except Calleigh thinks you'll lose." Frank said.

"That means she's going to win alot of money." Ryan grinned, "´Cause I'll win."

Frank laughed.

**-I-**

When Eric got home around six pm he found Horatio pacing in the living room.

"H...um... You're supossed to be resting." He said.

"I can't rest Eric. I don't rest. I'm just not that kind of person. I need to do something." Horatio said, "I've been awake all day, because I haven't been able to sleep. I know that it's all I will be doing for a whole week and it gives me nightmares. I've started talking to myself. I'm asking myself questions and I actually answer myself."

"That's not so bad." Eric said.

"It's horrible!" Horatio said, "I'm so bored that I'm thinking about coloring my hair green, just to have something to look and laugh at all day."

Eric chuckled at the mental image of Horatio with green hair. It was even funnier then the image of a pregnant Horatio, that he and Calleigh had talked about many weeks ago.

"What's so funny?" Horatio asked.

"The green hair thing." Eric grinned, "It's better then the image of a pregnant Horatio Caine." Eric laughed.

Horatio stared at him.

"Why would I get pregnant?" He asked, "It's not even possible."

"It's just something that Cal and I talked about the day my mother decided to show in the lab." Eric chuckled, "Can you imagine yourself with a nine months pregnant belly?"

"No."

"And with green hair?" Eric laughed.

Horatio smiled and started laughing with Eric.

"Do you want a baby?" Horatio asked, once he and Eric had stopped laughing.

"Aren't you sad that you can't have a baby because you're living with me?" Horatio asked.

"Why would I be?" Eric asked.

"I'm just wondering."

"H." Eric said and kissed him, "I like children. But I've never needed to have my own kids. It either happens or not."

Horatio nodded.

"Ad I'd rather be happy with you and no kids, then sad with someone else and have a bunch of kids." Eric smiled.

Horatio smiled and gave him a kiss.

"I'm hungry. Are you hungry?" Eric asked.

Horatio shook his head.

"H... You have to eat." Eric said.

"I want to do something fun." Horatio said, "Eating isn't fun."

"I can make it fun for you." Eric smiled.

"How?"

"Well you can get the special table." Eric grinned.

"Special table huh? Is that the table that looks like a man?"

"Oh yeah." Eric grinned.

**-I-**

Ryan was just about to leave the lab. Calleigh was wating for him down at the garage in the hummer.

He had been doing some tests in the lab and was now putting all his things away.

He started whistling and and walked towards the looker room to put some stuff in his looker.

Soon he was done and on his way out of the lab. He had a wierd feeling and was quite sure that Frank was about to get back at him at any time tonight.

He made sure nothing was on top or behind the looker room door or the elevator door.

He felt relieved when he saw nothing. He had nothing to worry about.

The elevator stopped at the garage floor and Ryan walked out. Unaware of the dark figure following him.

He waved at Calleigh. She smiled and waved back.

Was she trying not to laugh?

Ryan then heard a footstep behind him. But before he got the chance to turn around, a bucket of something soggy was placed over his head.

Ryan could feel to the soggy stuff run down on his clothes and even inside his shirt. He heard someone laughing and running away.

He reached up to his head and removed the bucket. He could barely see becuse his face was covered in the soggy stuff.

It was syrup.

"Frank you bastard." Ryan growled.

He tried to get the syrup off of his clothes, but ut was useless, since his hands were also covered in it.

What he didn't see was the dark figure, who was most likely Frank, coming back with a new bucket.

This time it was flour.

Ryan felt something new falling all over him. First he thought it was snow. But then he saw that it was flour.

He was now covered in syrup and flour, and Calleigh was sitting in the hummer, laughing her butt off.

Ryan glared at her. She took a picture with her cell phone and then got out of the hummer.

"Very funny Calleigh." Ryan said, "My clothes are ruined and this will take forever to wash off my body."

"I'll help you wash it off." She laughed.

"You knew that Frank was going to do this didn't you?" He asked.

"Yeah." Calleigh grinned.

"And you didn't tell me?"

"What's the fun in that?" Calleigh chuckled, "Come on syrup-boy. Let's go home and take a hot shower."

_**TBC...**_

**AN: Please review!**


	20. Chapter 20

**(About two weeks or so later) **

**5th July 2007 (I forgot to mention that before, but this story starts in 2007)**

5th July was a special day. Especially for Ryan and Calleigh. Want to guess why?

Well, it was their wedding day.

And the gun range at MDPD was decorated with all sorts of lovey dovey things. It was less then ten minutes left before Ryan would see his beautiful bride walk down the aisle.

Ryan's uncle Thomas Wolfe was going to wed them. He had been a priest for almost twenty years.

There were many chairs set out on the range, and Thomas was standing infront of a big piece of paper wall on lane 5. There were bullet holes in the wall, in the shape of a heart.

The wedding reception would be held in Calleigh and Ryan's house. Calleigh's cousin Jeremy and his band would provide the music.

The whole lab was of course at the gun range. And all Delko's sisters with their husbands and kids. Ryan's parents, grandparents and a few very close cousins.

Calleigh's father was there, her brother and his wife, and two cousins that she stood very close to. Not Calleigh's mother though.

And of course Eric, Frank and his family, Alexx and her family, Natalia and Horatio were present.

Horatio was helping Ryan with his tie. He and Eric were the two best men. Horatio was the one taking care of the ring for Ryan. And Valera was taking care of the ring for Calleigh.

"Ryan, stop jumping around or I can't fix the tie for you." Horatio said.

"Sorry. I'm just so freaking nervous." Ryan said.

"Calm down. Everything will be alright." Horatio smiled.

"I'm so glad that I brought my camera with me." Eric grinned. He was sitting in a chair filming the very jumpy and nervous Ryan Wolfe.

"I bet you are." Ryan chuckled.

"Do you got your vowel?" Horatio asked.

Ryan nodded, "I know it in my head."

"Okay, good." Horatio smiled, "Evyrthing will be fine."

Ryan nodded and gave Horatio a friendly hug.

"I'm ready." He smiled.

A few minutes later he stood next to his uncle. Everybody were seated, except Calleigh and her bridesmaids, Eric, Horatio and Calleigh's father. Kenwall would be giving his beautiful daughter away.

There was a small piano in the range too. And a young guy started playing. Ryan took a deep breath and prayed that he wouldn't pass out, or worse, throw up.

Soon Alexx and Valera walked down the aisle. Behind them walked Calleigh and Duke.

Alexx and Valera were wearing long, light blue dresses and looked absolutely beautiful.

Calleigh was wearing a long white dress. It was strapless and Ryan looked at Calleigh's beautiful neck and shoulders.

She was also wearing a vail.

Kenwall was smiling widely. He had dreamt of this day. The day that his daughter would get married.

Kenwall gave Calleigh away and she now stood infront of Ryan.

Uncle Thomas started talking about weddings and many other things. Ryan and Calleigh didn't hear what he said. They were so focused on each other.

After a while Uncle Thomas cleared his throat.

"Ryan, it's time for your vowels." He said.

The guests snickered a bit. Ryan blushed. He took a deep breath and Horatio gave him his ring.

"I had though of so many things that I wanted to say to you." He started, "But when I saw you walk down the aisle I completely forgot all of it."

He took another deep breath.

"The best way to describe how much I love you is by speaking from my heart. Every time I see you my heart skips a few beats. I always have to pinch myself to make sure that I'm not dreaming. That I'm really looking at the most wonderful woman in the world. The only woman that can make me feel whole. The only woman that I love more than life itself. And that woman is you Calleigh. I love waking up next to you everyday. I love holding you. I love kissing you. And I can never get tired of that. There is no one else that I'd rather spend the rest of my life with than you Calleigh." Ryan smiled and put the ring on Calleigh's finger.

Calleigh shrieked and threw her arms around Ryan's neck and kissed him hard.

"We're not at that part yet." Thomas chuckled.

Calleigh blushed and parted form Ryan.

"Sorry." She said. The guests were all chuckling. Alexx and a few other women were crying. It also looked as if Frank was holding back some tears.

"Calleigh, it's your turn now." Thomas smiled. Valera gave her the ring.

"Ryan, you are the love of my life. When I see you my heart rate goes up fast, and nothing or no one has ever been able to do that to me. Not even my gun vault." She smiled.

"I love everything about you. And being held and kissed by you is something I wouldn't trade for anything in the entire world. I love you so much that it hurts. But it hurts in a good way. Before I met you my life was so boring and dull. I never though I'd find love. And then there you were, a newbie. I knew that there was something special about you from the very beginning. And I was right. I can't wait to call myself Mrs Wolfe." Calleigh smiled and put the ring on Ryan's finger.

"Calleigh Duquesne, do you take Ryan Wolfe to be your lawfully wedded husband from this day forward. For better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?" Thomas asked.

"Yes, I do." Calleigh smiled.

"And Ryan Wolfe, do you take Calleigh Duquesne to be your lawfully wedded wife from this day forward. For better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?" Thomas asked.

"I do." Ryan smiled.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Ryan smiled and pulled Calleigh into his arms and kissed her.

The guests clapped their hands and cheered. Calleigh and Ryan parted.

"Thank you so much." Ryan smiled.

**-I-**

About an hour later the party was going on in the Wolfe household.

The cake was now being brought in. Calleigh and Ryan laughed when they saw it. The cake was decorated with small black circles, bullets. And red worm-like things, fibers. On top of the cake stood a small couple. The female doll had a white dress on her and was holding a gun in one hand. The male doll was wearing a tuxedo and holding a tweezer in one hand.

"Wow!" Calleigh smiled, "Nice job!"

"What is it, bullets, fibers?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, and in the middle of the cake we put a chocolate gun." Natalia said.

"Wow, that's awesome!" Callleigh smiled.

"Let's cut the cake." Ryan smiled.

He and Calleigh cut the cake, and then everybody else took a piece too.

Once everybody were seated, Horatio stood up to hold a small speech.

"Calleigh and Ryan. You certinaly made alot of us here jelous today. To have such strong love for each other as you do is something we all want. I know that you two will be very happy together in the many years you have before you. And I wish you a happy marriage and all the luck in the world." Horatio smiled.

Ryan and Calleigh gave him a hug.

Throughout the evening a few more people held speeches.

Calleigh and Ryan danced to the song, _You are the sunshine in my life_ by Stevie Wonder.

**--**

Around nine in the evening Kenwall and Calleigh took a small walk outside the house.

"Are you happy for me dad?" Calleigh asked.

"I sure am." Kenwall smiled, "I know I haven't always been the best father."

"Dad."

"No wait, hear me out." Kenwall said, "I know that I have let you down many times and that I should have been a better father. But I just want you to know that I love you very much. And I am proud of giving my daughter away to such a strong and caring man. I don't know what the future might bring Calleigh, but I will try to be there for you as much as I possibly can. I wouldn't have missed this day for anything in the world." Kenwall smiled.

Calleigh gave her father a huge smile and hugged him.

"I love you daddy."

"I love you too sweetheart."

"Dad, I wouldn't ask for a better father than you." Calleigh said, "I may not like the fact that you're drinking, but I love you. And that you haven't even touched the wine glasses tonight is something that I appreciate very very much."

Kenwall smiled, "I wouldn't want to ruin this day for you."

Calleigh smiled and gave her father a kiss on the cheek.

**--**

"So I guess that our war will have a temporary stop while you're on your honeymoon." Frank said.

"Yeah, but when I get back I'll kick you ass." Ryan grinned.

"You wish Ryan, you wish." Frank chuckled, "Well, Ryan now that you're married. You're captured now."

"Captured?"

"Yeah, stuck in the marriage. No more fun for you." Frank grinned.

"Frank stop scaring my baby." Alexx said and slapped Frank, "Ryan don't listen to him."

"I'm not." Ryan smiled, "This is the happiest day of my life."

"Yeah, you say that now, ouch Alexx... but you won't say it after ten years." Frank said.

Ryan chuckled. He saw Calleigh coming back inside with her father. They were both smiling, that was a good sign.

Though he knew that Calleigh was a little bit sad too. She had wanted her mother to be there, but her mother had never even answered the invitation.

"Are you okay Calleigh?" He asked her.

"I'm more than okay Ryan." She smiled and gave hima soft kiss.

**-I-**

Eric knocked on the door. It was only seven thirty, but Ryan and Calleigh's flight to Hawaii would leave in two hours.

"Hello! Guys, you need to wake up!" Eric shouted.

He heard someone run towads the door and soon a sleepy Ryan opened it.

"What time is it?" He asked.

"Seven thirty." Eric said and walked inside.

"What are you doing here at seven thirty?" Ryan asked and yawned.

"You're flight leaves in two hours. And the way I see it now it will take at least thirty minutes before we can leave your house." Eric said, "Don't stand there Ryan, get dressed and wake Calleigh up."

Ryan nodded and disappeared inside the bedroom.

Soon Calleigh was running around i the house, getting dressed, freshing up in the bahtroom and on the same time trying to pack down some things for the honeymmon.

Ryan did the same thing, only much more calmer. Eric sat in the living room, just watching. He would have helped but Calleigh seemed to have control of everything herself.

"Ryan hurry up!" She shouted sometimes.

Ryan just yawned and dragged his feet towards the bathroom to freshen up.

**--**

Forty-five minutes later they were all in Eric's hummer on their way to the aiport.

"How late did you stay up last night?" Eric asked, "All the guests left at eleven."

"We got to bed around 2am." Ryan yawned.

"Okay, so you were just playing for three hours." Eric smirked.

Calleigh slapped him.

"Are we there yet?" Calleigh asked.

"No, Calleigh, you know that it takes thirty minuutes to get there from your house." Eric said.

"That's without the sirens on." Calleigh said, "Turn them on."

"Is this an emergency?" Eric asked.

"Yes, Eric." Calleigh said.

Eric chuckled and turned the sirens on.

There wasn't alot of traffic on the streets, and only fifteen minutes later they arrived at the aiport.

Calleigh and Ryan checked in and then just waited outside their gate. Eric waited with them.

"I can't believe that you two will be enjoying two weeks in Hawaii, while the rest of us have to work our butts off with new crimes." Eric grinned.

"Get married and you'll have a honeymoon to enjoy too." Ryan said.

"I will one day." Eric smiled.

"I've never been to a gay wedding before." Calleigh said.

"Well, the day that H and I get married, you will." Eric said.

"Why don't you ask him?" Ryan asked.

"Nah, I want him to do it." Eric said.

A speaker voice told everybody that it was time to get on the plane to Hawaii.

"Okay, that's us." Calleigh smiled.

"See you when you get back." Eric smiled and gave them both a hug, "Take good care of each other."

"We will, bye." Ryan said.

**-I-**

The next day Horatio, Eric and Nat arrived at a crime scene in a small alley.

"Hey." Frank greeted them, "We know this victim."

"Really, who is it?" Eric asked.

"Derek Alperton." Frank said, "The guy who was supossed to witness against Raquel in two weeks."

_**TBC...**_

**AN: Please review!!**


	21. Chapter 21

**7th July**

"So our key witness is dead?" Eric asked, "Shit."

"Yeah, but we still have Miguel and the neighbor." Frank said.

"Yeah, but Derek was the one who heard pieces of a conversation that Jason Ash had with someone." Natalia said, "Pieces that made it sound like he was hired to do something."

"Such as shooting someone." Frank said, "Maybe Nevins can still use his written testiomony in court."

"Let' hope so." Horatio said.

Alexx arrived at the scene and started checking the body out.

"Well, I can tell you right now that COD is a gunshot wound to the head." Alexx said, "He doesn't seem to have any other injuries."

"TOD?" Horatio asked.

"Four hours ago."

"He was a drug addict, right?" Eric asked.

"Oh yeah, he has small puncture wounds in his arm. Like from a needle." Alexx said.

"So he probably came here to buy drugs. And things went bad for some reason." Horatio said.

"So you don't think that is something that Raquel could be a part of?" Frank asked.

"No, I don't." Horatio said, "Alexx, call me as soon as you're done with the autopsy."

"Will do."

"Eric and Natalia, process please." Horatio said, "Frank, try to fnd out who Derek met here, ask the people that live in this alley."

"What will you do?" Natalia asked.

"I will go see Nevins."

**--**

After two hours Eric and Natalia had found a gun in a garbage can. They had found several shoeprints on the ground and a bag of heroin. The shoeprints were a waste of time. So many people walked in the alley everyday, and none of the prints was odd in any way.

Hopefully Eric and Natalia would find a print on the bag of heroin and the gun.

Frank had asked several other drug addicts in the alley if they new anything about the murder. No one had seen anything that could give them an ID of the killer.

"All they saw was a tall man with black clothes and white shoes. He and Alperton fought about something, most likely drugs, and Derek got pissed. That's when the other man shot him and tossed the gun in the garbage can." Frank said to Horatio and Rebecka Nevins.

"They didn't see his face?" Horatio asked.

"A little bit. He had blond hair and small scar under his left eye." Frank said.

"Could they recognize him if they saw him again? Nevins asked.

"Yeah, probably. But they said that there was no way they'd testify in court." Frank said.

"Alright. How bad is this for the case against Raquel?" Horatio asked.

"It doesn't change much. Derek could never actually put Raquel in Ash's house. Only the shoeprints can. And he was a drug addict, therefore not such a reliable witness in court. Now I have to convince the jury that his testimony is reliable. We only have it written down on paper." Nevins said, "He was supossed to come in and record it for me today."

"It's all about what the jury thinks." Frank said, "It always is."

"Yes, and Raquel has hired a very good lawyer, Max Dawson." Nevins said, "He will do anything to make the neighbor and Miguel appear as bad witnesses. And this murder of Derek only makes it better for him."

"So we're screwed." Frank sighed.

"No, Tripp. But I told you before how difficult this will be." Nevins said, "I will do anything I can."

"Max Dawson won't win this case easyily." Horatio said.

**-I-**

"Ryan I know that we're on vacation and that we should just rest. But could you please hurry up a little bit?" Calleigh asked.

"What's the rush? We got all day." Ryan said. He was freshing up in the bathroom in their hotell room.

"No, it's eleven am allready. And we have to go see the sharks and the corals and then we're going to see a show in the hotell this evening." Calleigh said.

"What?! Sharks?"

"Ryan, I told you that we would take a little boatrip out on the sea to see sharks." Calleigh said.

"We can't do that. What if we get eaten?" Ryan asked.

"We will be with profesionals. We will only be in a shark cage dummy. The guys that are taking us out on this trip knows exactly what they're doing." Calleigh smiled.

"So, we are going to start the day with sharks and then swim in corals, and then end the day with a show?" Ryan asked.

Calleigh nodded.

"You're dangerous Calleigh."

"No, I'm adventurous." Calleigh smiled, "Look Ryan, nothing will happen."

"What if it comes a shark when we dive around the corals?" He asked.

"It won't. We're with profensionals then too and they said that sharks don't swim in that area." Calleigh said, "And the show tonight won't kill you. It's just three guys preforming magic tricks."

"Well, if I still die today. I wan't you to know that I love you." Ryan smiled.

"Aw, Ryan, I love you too."

**--**

Just as Calleigh had said. She and Ryan were in the hands of profesional shark divers. Three guys that knew everything there was to know about sharks.

They had a big boat with a big shark cage. They offered tourists the change to get really close to sharks and then swim around corals later. They had never had one single accident. Though Ryan was still nervous. Callegh was excited, she loved to do risky things, and she loved dragging the very scared Ryan along with her.

"Alright, do you remember what we taught you about diving?" One of the profesionals named Mark asked.

Caleligh and Ryan nodded. They were dressed in full diving gear. And would soon go into the water with Mark and another guy named Peter. The third guy Benny would stay on the boat.

"There is nothing to worry about." Mark said, "We'll keep you safe."

Peter was the first person to get inside the cage. Then he and Mark helped Calleigh get in. Then Ryan and finally Mark.

Benny lowered the cage down. Calleigh was so excited that she felt like screaming. Ryan had started to calm down a bit, but that was because there were no sharks around them. Yet.

Mark pointed at something big and black moving towards them. It got closer and closer.

When it was really close Calleigh noticed that it was a great white.

Ryan was pale and tried to keep his breathing under control. He had to admit that it was a very special experience, but he was still scared as hell.

Calleigh smiled at him as she was taking pictures with a water proof camera.

The shark was now right next to the cage. It kept circling around it. Checking it out.

Then it just swam away.

The ocean was pretty empty for almost three minutes, before three sharks showed up. Calleigh had no idea what kind of sharks they were. But they were all swimming very close to the cage.

Ryan looked at the sharks mouths. All those teeth!

He would certainly keep away from deep waters after this. Calleigh gave him a hug. He wasn't nervous any more. Just catious. While Calleigh looked like she was ready to just jump out of the cage and swim with the sharks forever.

**--**

After Ryan and Calleigh had seen the sharks. Mark, Benny and Peter took them to another place. It was a coral reef, close to some cliffs.

It wasn't very deep and there were certainly no sharks there.

This time Mark stayed on the boat. While Benny and Peter swum in the water with Calleigh and Ryan.

They didn't follow them around, just made sure that they could see them at all times.

It was beautiful! So many different colors and fish everywhere.

Calleigh took many pictures and even touched the fish. Ryan was completely mesmerized by everything.

They would never forget this honeymoon!

**-I-**

"You know who shot Derek?" Horatio asked Eric and Natalia.

"Yes we do." Eric said, "We found a set of fingerprints on the gun. Belonging to Marcus Weather."

"And on the bag of heroin?" Horatio asked.

"Fingerprints belong Derek Alperton and Marcus Weather." Natalia said.

"Alright, all we need to do know is to arrest Marcus." Horatio said.

It didn't take long to find Marcus Weather. The police found him in a park selling drugs to a woman. H eas brought in to the station for interrogation.

"Mr Weather." Horatio said, "Looks like you're getting a new place to stay for a while. Jail."

"I haven't done anything." Marcus said.

"You've sold drugs." Frank said, "And you shot Derek Alperton."

"Who?"

"Derek Alperton. You shot him this morning." Horatio said.

"You got anything to prove that?" Marcus said.

"Your fingerprints on a bag of heroin and the gun that was used to kill Mr Alperton." Frank said, "I'd say that pretty much proves it all."

"Planted." Marcus said, "It's planted."

"That's not what I think." Horatio said, "I think that you were about to sell heroin to Derek. But he wanted more. You didn't have more, so he treathened to call the police. You shot him."

Marcus laughed.

"That's a really funny story. But I wouldn't do something like that." He said.

"So your fingerprints just flew on to the gun?" Frank asked.

"Something like that." Marcus smirked.

"We have two witnesses saying that they saw a man with black clothes, white shoes, blond hair and a scar under his left eyes, fighting with Derek and shooting him." Horatio said.

"Sound familiar?" Frank asked.

"I want a deal." Marcus said.

"A deal?" Frank asked, "What do you know that could be so important fo us?"

"I know how Jason Ash got ten thousand dollars."

_**TBC...**_

**AN: Please review!**


	22. Chapter 22

Frank and Horatio looked at Marcus.

"We know that too." Frank said.

"Yeah, but I heard that you couldn't prove it." Marcus said.

"And you can prove who did it?" Horatio asked.

Marcus nodded.

"Sure can." He said.

"Well, start talking." Frank said.

"First I want you to make sure that I don't get a highter sentence then 15 years." Marcus said.

Horatio thought for a second.

"Frank, can I talk with you for a minute?" He asked.

Frank nodded and he and Horatio stepped outside the room.

"What's on your mind?" Frank asked.

"I'm not eniterly sure that it is a good idea to make a deal with him." Horatio said.

"Nether do I." Frank said, "But maybe we don't have to make a deal for real."

"You mean fool him?"

"Yeah, exactly." Frank said, "This guy doesn't regret what he did. He should pay pay for what he did. Pay full prize so to speak."

Horatio nodded.

"Hmm... alright, Frank, alright." He said.

Frank and Horatio went back inside.

"Alright, you tell us what you know and there is a big chance that we can at least get your sentence down to 18 years." Frank said.

Marcus nodded.

"Alright, cool." He said, "Several addicts have been talking about it since the shooting. Apparently, a woman named Missy Hills, this rich, spoiled addict, gave ten thousand dollars to another rich person."

"Was there anyone else there?" Horatio asked.

"No." Marcus said.

"That's all you know?" Frank asked, "You don't know any reasons or any names?"

Marcus shook his head.

"Well, thank you anyway." Horatio said and left the room.

"So I can get 18 years now right?" Marcus asked Frank.

"Hmm... no, sorry, we completely forgot to tell a lawyer or a judge about this deal." Frank grinned.

"What?! But you said..."

"Yeah, well only three people know about that." Frank smirked, "And no one will believe an addict like you."

"You fucking bastard!" Marcus growled.

"No, you're a bastard. You killed a man." Frank said and left.

**-I-**

Horatio and Natalia had driven out to a location where drug addicts used to hang out.

They were looking for Missy Hills.

"Excuse me, do you know a Missy Hills?" Natalia asked a woman. The woman shook her head.

Horatio asked a few young guys. No one looked like they were over 20. It was sad.

"I know Missy Hills." A man said to Natalia and Horatio.

"But her name isn't Missy Hills." He said.

"What's her name?" Nat asked.

"Chleo Kilmer." He said, "She's daughter of this rich guy who import wine and all kinds of crap."

"Fredrick Kilmer." Horatio said.

"Yeah, that's his name."

"Who are you?" Nat asked.

"Daniel."

"Okay, Daniel, any idea where we might find Missy?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah, in Europe." Daniel said.

"Europe? Why is she there?" Nat asked.

"Don't know. But she ain't coming back." Daniel said.

"Do you know if she gave a woman ten thousand dollars?" Horatio asked.

Daniel nodded.

"Yeah, she took out fifty thousand dollars, gave ten to a woman, and then she just flew to Europe to live with the rest f the money." Daniel said, "She said something about getting away from her dad."

"Did you ever see the woman she gave the money to?" Nat asked.

"No, nobody has seen that woman. We all just heard about it." Daniel said, "Missy told me about it."

"What more did she tell you?" Horatio asked.

"Nothing. But Missy told me that she had met this woman one day before that cop and other guy were shot." Daniel said.

"Thank you very much Daniel, are you willing to testify in court?" Nat asked.

"No, no way. I can't do that." Daniel said, "I'll stay here, I ain't going to a court house or police station."

"Thanks anyway." Horatio said, "Let's go Natalia."

"So Raquel planned the whole thing." Natalia said, "Mabe Jason Ash was her 2nd choice of hitman. And she knew he wouldn't do it for free."

"Yes, but we need to get her in some other way." Horatio said, "And I have a plan."

**-I-**

Ryan looked at his food. It looked like dog food. Even worse in fact.

"Ryan it's just soup and shrimps, and..."

"And a cat that went through a meat grinder." Ryan said.

Calleigh chuckled.

"I thought you loved food." She said.

"Yeah, food, Cal, food for humans." Ryan said, "Not crap that's worse than dog food."

"Dog food?"

"It's even worse than that. It's like food for worms or something."

"Ryan, you are so mean." Calleigh chuckled, "What if the chef hears you?"

"Calleigh, he is in the kitchen." Ryan said.

"But one of the guests or waiters might tell him." Calleigh said.

"Yeah, but I have a trigger-happy wife." Ryan grinned.

"Who doesn't have a gun with her on her honeymoon." Cal smiled.

Ryan chuckled.

"This isn't food." He said.

"Can you at least try it?" Cal asked.

Ryan nodded and took a bite.

"Mmm, It's actually good." He smiled.

"I knew you'd say that." Cal smiled.

"Excuse me, sir?" A waiter said.

"Yes?" Ryan asked.

"May I take your plate with me?" The waiter asked.

"Why?" Ryan asked.

"Because you got the wrong food."

"Wrong food, what do you mean?" Cal asked.

"The newest waiter gave you the wrong food."

"And who's food is this?" Ryan asked.

The waiter pointed at three large dogs. Ryan paled, stood up and ran towards the bathroom.

He barely made it to the toilet before he threw up.

_Oh my god!! I liked the dog food! I ate dog food! _He thought.

After ten minutes he came out and saw Calleigh grinning at him.

"Seriously Cal, it's not funny." He said.

"I know, sorry." She said.

"It's okay, just take me to the hotell."

Calleigh gave Ryan a kiss on the cheek and they walked back to their hotell.

Ryan still felt like throwing up. But instead he layed down on the couch.

Calleigh straddled him. She kissed him softly on the cheek.

"I want a kiss on the mouth." Ryan said.

"Not after what you ate." Cal grinned.

"Ugh, don't remind me."

Calleigh chuckled. She ran her hands down Ryan chest. Softly.

"Cal, what are you doing?" He asked smiling.

"Making your night end good." Cal grinned.

She had a white dress on her. But she quickly pulled it off over her head.

Ryan swallowed when he saw his blonde wife, straddling him in only her underwear.

"Like what you see?" She asked.

Ryan nodded.

"You are wearing two much clothes." She grinned.

**-I-**

**8th July**

Eric was nervous as he walked inside a visitation room to see his mother. Horatio had asked him to talk to her, and see if maybe she would confess or reveal something that they didn't know.

"Mom." Eric greeted as he sat down at a table. Across his mother.

"Eric." Raquel greeted back.

"How are you?" Eric asked.

"What do you think? I'm being accused of something that I haven't done."

"You know how scared I was?" Eric asked, ignoring what his mother had just said, "I was so scared that I'd lose Horatio and dad. Seeing H in the hospital bed, made me so scared of going home alone. I was so scared that I'd never get a chance to talk to him again, or hold him."

"Wimp." Rauqel said.

"And I was so happy that dad has started accepting me and H. And then he got shot. I was so scared that I'd lose him too." Eric said, "It really made me realize how much they mean to me, when I saw them hurt."

"Oh stop with your stupid gay feelings." Rauqel said, "It's not normal."

"Yes, it is." Eric said, "If Horatio was a woman, you would be comforting me now."

"But he is a man."

"A man that I love, why can't you understand that?"

"Because it's wrong!" Raquel growled.

"I'ts not wrong. It's having people like you on the streets that's wrong."

"So, you mean that I deserve to be here?"

"Don't you?" Eric asked, tears falling down his cheeks, "You tried to kill my boyfriend and father."

"Boyfriend?" Raquel asked, "I will not let that man use you as a toy."

"He's not."

"You weren't born like this Eric, you were normal. That man did something to you!"

"He has shown me what real love is!" Eric said.

"Real love isn't what you have! It's a plague."

"No, meeting Horatio is the best thing that has ever happened to me." Eric said.

"You're filthy!" Raquel growled, almost shouted, "You don't deserve love! It's wrong and I was going to teach you and your dad a lesson! While on the same time making sure that, that old man, would never be happy again!" Rauqel shouted, "You may think that it's right! But it's wrong, and I may not have been able to kill you with Jason Ash's help, but I will make sure that you two are unhppy for the rest of your life!"

"You did it?!" Eric growled, "You payed Jason Ash to shoot me and dad!"

"Yeah. But the idiot shot Joseph and the read head!" Raquel shouted.

"His name is Horatio." Eric said.

"His name belongs on a tomb stone!" Raquel growled, "And I will make sure that as soon as I walk out of the court house as a free woman, you will pay for this."

Eric wiped his tears away and stood up.

"You will never be a free woman again." He said.  
"You have no evidence." Raquel smirked.

"I do now." Eric said and lifted his shirt up, revealing a microphone on a wire, "I have your confession."

Eric walked out the door and Raquel bolted after him. Furious.

"This is now how you treat your mother!" She shouted, "I am your mother!"

Eric turned around.

"You are not my mother anymore." He said and walked away.

Horatio and Frank walked towards him. Horatio embraced him. Holding him tightly. He knew that it had not been easy for Eric.

Hearing his mother confess and hearing how much she hated him was something that he would never forget.

"I love you H." Eric sobbed again his chest.

"It's alright." Horatio said softly, "I love you too."

**-I-**

Valera and Jason were on their first appointment with a gynecologist.

His name was Dr. Trevor Wallace.

"Well, Ms Valera, it looks good." Trevor said, "You are five weeks pregnant."

Valera nodded.

"Wow, look at that." Jason smiled widely and pointed at the monitor screen.

Even if it didn't look much like a baby yet, it still was one on the screen. And Jason was so excited that he could explode.

"Yes, it is." Valera smiled.

"Hm..." Trevor said.

He frowned and Valera and Jason got worried.

"Is something wrong?" Valera asked.

"Wait a minute." Trevor said, "I just want to be sure."

He turned up the sound, and soon the baby's heartbeat filled the room.

"It sounds perfectly normal." Valera said.

Trevor moved the probe around and still only heartbeats filled the room. Valera looked confused. But Jason knew what it was.

"Oh my god!" He said, "It's..."

"Yes, it is." Trevor smiled.

"Twins?" Valera asked.

"Actually, triplets." Trevor said.

Jason looked with wide eyes at Trevor. Then he got pale and suddenly fell off his chair.

"Whoa." Trevor said and got up from his chair to see if Jason was alright.

"He's okay, he just fainted... again." Valera smiled, "Three?"

Trevor smiled.

"Three."

Valera started to cry. She was so happy. She and Jason were going to have triplets!

_**TBC...**_

**AN: Please review! You know you want to, lol! **


	23. Chapter 23

**9th July, 9am**

Horatio woke up in an empty bed. He got out of bed and went in search for Eric.

Eric had been so sad since his mother's confession. Yesterday Eric hadn't wanted to eat or even talk. He had just cried and said _sorry_**. **Horatio wasn't sure who Eric was apologizing to. It could be his mother, father, God or himself.

He found Eric on the beach at the back of their house. The waves gently touched his feet.

Horatio sat down behind him and hugged him. Giving him a soft kiss on the neck.

"Have you been out here long?" Horatio asked.

"No." Eric sighed.

"How are you holding up?"

"I feel terrible." Eric said.

"Because of your mother's confession?"

"Yeah. Now she's definetely going to jail, and I'll be responsible for it." Eric said and felt tears run down his cheeks, "I put my mother in jail."

"No, I did." Horatio said, "I told you to talk to her. I'm the one to blame."

"No one should really be blamed. Mom almost killed you and dad."

"I know. And please don't get angry now, but she's a criminal, and she deserves to go to jail." Horatio said, "Even if she's your mother I will make sure that she get what she deserves. But I understand that his is hard for you."

"It is. And you're right." Eric sighed, "As a CSI, a cop, I know that I did the right thing. But as her son, I can't help but to feel awful."

"I know." Horatio said and kissed Eric again.

"What if my sisters will hate me now? Or dad?"

"No, they won't." Horatio said, "Your sisters were the first ones that suspected your mother."

"I know, but deep down they have to love her."

"I think they do. But they also want her to pay for what she did." Horatio said.

"Yeah, I know. It's just so wierd." Eric sobbed.

Eric turned around so that he was facing Horatio. Horatio embraced him and Eric cried against his chest.

Horatio kissed him softly on the head and rubbed small circles on his back.

After a while Eric calmed down a bit.

"Did you ever feel love for your dad H?" He asked.

Horatio wasn't prepared for the question and didn't know what to say. Eric lifted his head up from Horatio's chest.

"Did I say something wrong?" Eric asked.

"No, I just wasn't prepared for that question." Horatio said, "Umm... Yeah, deep down I loved my father."

Eric nodded.

"Eric, I killed my father. It was an accident, but I still did it." Horatio said, "I felt awful about it too. I had many times wanted him dead and hated what he did to me, my mother and Raymond. But I never thought of actually killing him myself."

"Do you till feel awful about it?"

"Yeah, I do. But there is nothing I can do now that can change the past. I wish that he hadn't died. So that he could have payed for what he did in jail, but he is dead."

"Where is he buried?" Eric asked.

"Next to my mother, in Queens." Horatio said.

"Do you miss him?"

"I don't know. I miss the way he used to be, before he started being violent." Horatio said, "That I miss."

"I miss the way my mother used to be too." Eric sighed, "I have a few memories of how mom used to be before I was eight. She was so wild and full of life. I miss that."

Horatio nodded and gave Eric a kiss. Eric opened his mouth and kissed back.

They parted when the need of air became to big.

"Valera is having triplets." Horatio smiled.

"Yeah, you told me that yesterday." Eric smiled.

"Did I tell you that Jason passed out again?" Horatio asked.

"No, haha, he really did?"

"Yeah, I wonder if he'll do that when Valera's giving birth." Horatio laughed.

"I think he will." Eric grinned, "Let's eat something, I'm hungry."

**-I-**

"You have to be very very careful Valera." Jason said.

He was pacing around in the living room, telling Valera to be careful now that she had three babies in her belly.

"Jason, I know. You've said that three times already." She said.

"Make sure to eat properly, and no stress."

"Jason, not only have you told me this all day, but Dr Wallace said it too." Valera said.

"I know, but I just want my girl to be safe." Jason said.

"Your girl?"

"Yeah, you're my girl." Jason smiled.

"Am I some sort of toy that you own?"

"What? No, no, I didn't mean it like that."

"Really?" Valera asked, "Because you do own me silly. I am your girl."

Jason chuckled.

"You got me scared there." He said.

"I know. Now let's have sex." Valera said and took Jason's hand. She dragged him to the bedroom and started undressing him.

"Valera, maybe we shouldn't. I mean you're pregnant." Jason said.

"Jason, I want to have sex. I'm craving it."

"Actually, you should be craving food, but..."

"Jason."

"Yes?"

"Shut up and get undressed." Valera grinned.

**--**

**1 hour later**

Valera groaned as she answered the phone. It had been ringing like crazy for ten minutes.

"Hello." She groaned.

"Somebody sounds tired."

"Calleigh, you have no idea." Valera said.

"What have you done? Exercising?"Cal asked, "Wait! Oh my god, you had sex!"

"Well, yeah, I'm pregnant."

"No, I'm talking recently." Cal laughed, "Anyway, so anything new?"

"Yeah, I'm pregnant with triplets."

Calleigh shrieked.

"Wow! Oh my god!" She said, "That is so awesome."

"Yeah, and guess what?"

"Jason passed out."

"Oh yeah, the big doctor can see severly injured people in the ER, but he can't keep from passing out when his girlfriend gets pregnant." Valera chuckled.

"Well, you never know how you might react to something like that." Calleigh said, "So, any names yet?"

"We have thought of a boys name, Callum." Valera said.

"Oh, that sounds so cute."

"Yeah, but after that we don't know."

"You have to come up with six names at least. Three boy names, three girls." Cal said.

"Yeah, and we could also get two girls and one boy."

"Or two boys and one girl." Cal said, "You're not going to get much sleep."

"Ugh, please don't remind me of that." Valera said, "Jason's talks about it all the time."

"Aw, cute."

"Yeah, sort of." Valera said.

She then told Calleigh about Raquel's confession and how sad Eric had gotten.

"Oh, poor Eric." Cal said.

"Yeah, Horatio is taking care of him though."

"I'll still give him a call later."

"How's your honeymoon?" Valera asked.

"Great! And guess what?"

"Ryan has gotten hurt?" Val asked.

"He ate dog food!"

Valera started laughing, and she could hear Calleigh laughing too.

Poor Ryan was sitting next to Calleigh and could hear Valera's laughter over the phone.

Calleigh had been laughing through the whole night, because she had thought about the dog food so much. It was constantly on her mind.

"How did that happen?" Valera asked.

"The new waiter gave him the wrong food." Calleigh laughed.

Valera laughed too.

"But listen, don't tell ayone about this." Cal said.

"Not even Jason or Alexx?"

"Can Jason keep quiet?" Cal asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay, then you can tell him. And Alexx already knows."

"What about Natalia?"

"She knows."

"You told me last?" Val asked.

"No, dummy, I just have to call Ryan's parents and tell them too." Cal giggled.

"You're not relly going to are ya?" Valera asked.

"No, I have only told you. So let's keep it that way." Cal said, "Poor guy is sitting here next to me."

"Say hi from me and Jason." Valera said.

"Will do... He says hi back." Cal said.

The girls talked for two more hours.

**-I-**

**1pm**

"You know what I want H?" Eric asked. He and Horatio were cuddling on the couch.

"Me?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah, always and forever." Eric smiled, "But I'm talking about something else now."

"Hmm... a parrot?"

"No, but is an animal." Eric smiled.

"A cat?"

"Close."

"A dog?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah, a dog." Eric smiled.

"What kind of a dog?"

"A Grand Danois." Eric grinned.

"Really? I love that kind of dog." Horatio smiled.

"I know, and so do I." Eric said, "It's perfect."

"We can get two."

"Two?" Eric asked, "You really want that?"

"Well, no, I want six. But I think we can start with two."

Eric chuckled.

"Alright, puppies right?" He asked.

"Yeah, you want to go look on the internet for two puppies right now?" Horatio asked.

"Why not."

_**TBC...**_

**AN: Please review! Oh and, any names suggestions for two dogs?**


	24. Chapter 24

**20th July, 10am**

Rebecka Nevins, Max Dawson, Raquel Delko, judge Holden, the CSI team, Maya, Trish and Elena, detectives, witnesses, a jury and a bunch of other people were all gathered in a court room. It was time to start the trial against Raquel Delko.

Alexx, Frank, Eric, Horatio, Ryan, Nat and Calleigh were sitting behind Nevins. Joseph Delko had decided not to be there.

"Guys, I got some new evidence from Joseph three days ago." Nevins said.

"You did?" Eric asked, "What is it?"

"It's a prenuptial agreement." Nevins said, "In case of a divorce she gets 3 million dollars from him."

"And if he dies?" Frank asked.

"All of it."

"And that's alot of money." Eric said.

"Yes, so I'll use it against her." Nevins said, "The divorce has gone through, so she has got her 3 million dollars."

"All rise." A voice said and Judge Holden walked out in the court room and sat down in his chair.

He said a few words and then Nevins and Dawson opened the trial by talking to the jury.

**-I-**

"Why aren't you at the trial?" Jason asked.

"Because if I see that ugly-wicked witch again. I might damage the babies." Valera said.

"How?"

"Jason. Just please, don't say anything." Valera said.

"Alright. But why aren't you at work then?" He asked.

"Why arent' you?"

"Because it's my day off. But not yours." Jason grinned.

"I feel sick."

"My poor poor girl." Jason smiled and gave Valera kiss.

She was lying in bed. She had a fever and was pissed off.

"Can I get you anything?" Jason asked.

"Pasta with peanut butter and pimiento." Valera said.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Are you serious?" Jason asked, "That can't be good."

"It is. Now go make some for me." Valera said.

Jason nodded and went out in the kitchen. He decided to call Valera's mother Elisa and ask her if it was really such a good idea to give a pregnant woman that kind of food.

"You are the doctor aren't ya?" Elisa asked.

"Yes, but I'm not so sure about this." Jason said.

"It's her craving you know. That happens when you're pregnant." Elisa said. Jason knew she was smiling.

"Okay, what happens if I don't give it to her?"

"She'll probably beat the crap out of ya." Elisa chuckled, "Jason, until she givers birth you better get used to cravings and mood swings."

"Okay. Will her mood swings get three times worse, since she's pregnant with triplets?"

Elisa laughed.

"No, I've never heard of anything like that." She said.

"Good to know." Jason said, "Well, I better get this food done. Thank's for your time Elisa."

"No problem Jason." Elisa said and hung up.

"Jason!" Valera yelled, "What's taking so long?"

"Long? It's only been three minutes." Jason said.

"That's almost like three hours for a hungry, very pissed off pregnant lady."

"Sorry my dear. The food will be ready shortly." Jason said.

**-I-**

Miguel was in the witness stand. Nevins was the first one to ask him questions.

"Mr Delko, what kind of a mood was the defendant, your sister, in when she came to see you the day that Lt. Caine and Joseph Delko were shot?" Nevins asked.

"She was angry." Miguel said.

"What did she tell you?"

"She said that she wanted me to teach them a lesson. Hurt them." Miguel said.

"Did she tell you why?" Nevin asked.

"Yes, she said that they had hurt her."

"In what way had they hurt her?"

"They didn't want to talk to her anymore." Miguel said.

"Why is that?" Nevin asked.

"Because she didn't accept that her son is homosexual." Miguel said.

"Did your sister ask you to hurt her son?" Nevins asked.

"Yes, she did."

"And what happened when you didn't want to?"

"She told me to go to hell." Miguel said.

"No further questions." Nevins said and went back to her chair.

Dawson stood up and walked towards Miguel.

"Mr Delko, what exactly did your sister say when she told you that she wanted her son and husband, now ex-husband to get hurt?" Dawson asked.

"That she wanted to hurt them like they had hurt her." Miguel said.

"Meaning that she never wanted to talk to them again." Dawson said, "Why do you witness against her?"

"Because she is guilty of the charges against her." Miguel said.

"How do you know that?" Dawson asked. Hoping to make Miguel look like a man who assumed to much.

"Objection!" Nevins said, "He's mocking the witness."

"Sustained. Mr Dawson, ask something else." Judge Holden said.

"No further questions." Dawson said.

"The witness can step down from the stand." Judge Holden said.

"I now call Mrs Julia Hess as a witness." Nevin said.

"Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do." Mrs Hess said.

"Mrs Hess." Nevins said, "You've stated that you saw the defendant come out of Miguel Delko's house and upset they day of the shooting, June 22nd, is that correct?" Nevins asked.

"Yes."

"What did she do after she came out of the house?"

"She smiled and went into the house next to Mr Delko's." Mrs Hess said.

"How long was she in there?" Nevins asked.

"Not more then fifteen mintes."

"Did she have a purse that day?" Nevin asked.

"Obejction! It's not relevant." Dawson said.

"Yes it is." Nevins said.

"Overruled. You may continue Ms Nevins." Holden said.

"Thank you." Nevin said, "Did se have a purse?" If Raquel had brought a purse with her, she could easily have hidden ten thousand dollars in it.

"Yes."

"Did she seem happy when she exited the house?"

"No." Mrs Hess said.

"Who used to live in that house?"

"Jason Ash."

"No further questions." Nevins said.

"Mrs Hess. Has Raquel Delko ever talked to Jason Ash before?" Dawson asked.

"I don't know." Mrs Hess said.

"So she could have entered the house because he was a friend, and maybe she smiled because she was happy to see him?" Dawson asked.

"Obejction!" Nevins said, "Mrs Hess opinion is not relevant for the case."

"Opinions is what made her testify for you Ms Nevins" Dawson said.

"Sustained. Mrs Hess opinion is not relevant." Holden said.

"No further questions." Dawson said.

**-I-**

The team was having lunch with Maya, Trish and Elena. At 1pm the trial would continue.

"I heard that you two have bought a dog." Maya said and to Eric and H.

"Two dogs, actually." Horatio said, "Grand Danois."

"Big dogs." Elena said, "When can you take them home?"

"In three days." Eric said, "They're nine weeks old."

"Any names?" Calleigh asked.

"Yeah, Waldo and Rascall." Eric said, "They're both black and male."

"My oldest child, Dominic wants a dog too." Elena said, "Instead of a little brother."

"So it's a boy?" Natalia asked.

"Yeah." Elena smiled and touched her pregnant belly, "I have three already, and then one girl."

"Well she'll have four brothers to protect her." Eric grinned.

"It's the other way around. They get in to trouble all the time and she has to protect them." Elena chuckled.

"And Valera's having triplets I heard." Trish said.

"Yeah, has she thought of any names yet?" Natalia asked.

"Yeah, she has three boy names ready." Calleigh smiled, "Callum, Caleb and Cameron."

"Cute names." Trish smiled.

"I think so too." Valera said as she joined the grup for lunch.

"Aren't you sick?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah, a little bit. But I need lunch." Valera said.

"Where's Jason?" Maya asked.

"At home, sleeping." Valera said, "I tired him out today. I forced him to clean, make food, give me a massage and a bath."

"Poor guy." Trish laughed.

"Yeah." Valera grinned, "Have you thought of a name yet Elena?"

"Yeah, since it's a boy, His name will be Enrique." Elena smiled.

"Iglesias?" Natalia grinned.

"You never know, he might grow up and be a singer just like him." Elena chuckled.

"But Valera, no girl names yet?" Maya asked.

"I thought of three this morning." Valera smiled, "Jan, Julie and Jenny."

"You like the letters C and J, right?" Eric asked.

"Yeah I do." Valera grinned.

"Isn't it tough to carry three babies?" Calleigh asked.

"Not yet. But Dr Wallace said that I'll probably have to stay in bed for the last two months." Valera said, "I do not look forward to that."

"Just think about all the things that Jason will have to do for ya." Calleigh grinned, "He'll be your personal butler."

"Yeah, that will be great!" Valera chuckled.

**-I-**

**1:15pm**

"Ms Delko, you told the police that you didn't know Jason Ash, is that correct?" Nevins asked.

"Yes."

"Yet, shoeprints found in his house put's you there." Nevins said, "And so does a witness."

"That doesn't mean I know him." Rauqel said.

"So you did not pay him ten thousand dollars to shoot Lt. Caine and Joseph Delko?" Nevin asked.

"No, I did not." Rauqel said.

"But we have your confession on tape." Nevins said, "And I'd like to play that tape, if that's alright your honor?"

"It is." Holden said.

Nevins pressed play on a little recorder.

_"You're filthy!" Raquel growled, almost shouted, "You don't deserve love! It's wrong and I was going to teach you and your dad a lesson! While on the same time making sure that, that old man, would never be happy again!" Rauqel shouted, "You may think that it's right! But it's wrong, and I may not have been able to kill you with Jason Ash's help, but I will make sure that you two are unhppy for the rest of your life!"_

_"You did it?!" Eric growled, "You payed Jason Ash to shoot me and dad!"_

_"Yeah. But the idiot shot Joseph and the read head!" Raquel shouted._

_"His name is Horatio." Eric said._

_"His name belongs on a tomb stone!" Raquel growled, "And I will make sure that as soon as I walk out of the court house as a free woman, you will pay for this."_

"I also have an anonymous witness syaing that recieved ten thousand dollars from Missy Hills." Nevins said.

"Obejction!" Dawson said, "That can't be proved as real evidence and therefore shouldn't be used in court."

"Sustained." Holden said.

"You and Joseph Delko recently got divorced is that correct?" Nevins asked.

"Yes." Rauqel said.

"Which means that you got 3 million dollars?"

"Yes."

"But, at the time of the shooting you and Jospeh Delko were still married?" Nevins asked.

"Yes." Raquel sighed.

"And if Joseph Delko would have died in the shooting you would have inherited all of his money." Nevins said, "And that's almost 20 million dollars."

"Yes."

"Objection!" Dawson said, "Not relevant."

"Overruled." Holden said.

"So not only was your motive to want Joseph Delko dead the fact that he chose your son over you, but it's also because you would have become 30 million dollars richer." Nevins said, "No further questions."

"Ms Delko, what did you feel like when your son accused you of attempted murder?" Dawson asked.

"It made me very angry." Rauqel said.

"So in all the anger you said things, just to make him leave?" Dawson asked.

"Yes." Raquel said.

"No further questions." Dawson said.

**--**

**2pm**

Nevins and Dawson were going to do one last attempt to convince the jury on how to vote.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury." Nevins said, "I know that we can't prove that the defendant held the ten thousand dollars that Jason Ash had in his pocket when he died. But we can place the defendant in the house through a witness and shoeprints. We also have her confession. Raquel Delko did a good job in hiding her tracks. So good, that without her confession I wouldn't have a chance to win this case. But now I do have a chance. The chance is in your hands. My job is to put bad people in jail, and to make sure that people are safe. That's my job. Sometimes I've been trying to put innocent people in jail, and I do it because I follow the evidence. The evidence is not always right. Not always. But in this case it is. If Raquel Delko walks out of here as a free woman today, I will have failed my job. And a whole family would no longer be safe. You have chance to put the bad person away and keep a big family safe. Don't throw that chance away." Nevins said and went back to her chair.

Max Dawson stood up with a grin.

"Ladies and gentleman. Just like state attorney Rebecka Nevins, my job is also to put bad people in jail and keep familys safe." Dawson said, "I only defend people that I believe are harmless. Raquel Delko is harmless. When that tape with her confession was recorded. She had spent several day's in holding. She was upset, tired and sad. Her family had all left her alone. And then suddenly her only son shows up and accuses her of attempted murder. How would that make you feel? I know that I would feel very angry. I might in fact start yelling too, just like Raquel Delko. And I would yell things, just to be left alone. Just like Raquel Delko did. Nobody wants to listen to them being accused of something they hadn't done. So if course anybody would react the same way that Raquel Delko did. It doesn't make her a criminal. It makes her human. She had been left alone by the people that she loves the most. By the people that should support her. Not accuse her. Raquel Delko is not a criminal. So don't send an innocent woman to jail." Dawson said and returned to his chair.

Now the jury would go to a small room and vote. Guilty or innocent.

**--**

**2:15pm**

"Has the jury reached a unanimous decision?" Holden asked.

"We have your honor." A young woman said.

"And what is that decision?"

"We find the defendant..."

_**TBC...**_

**AN: Muhahaha, am I very evil now? lol! Please Review!**

**Thanks to Goma-Ryu for the dog name suggestion Waldo!**


	25. Chapter 25

"We find the defendant... guilty of attempted murder."

Eric froze. His moter was guilty. She was going to jail. And it was his fault! He had brought this upon his mother!

She would hate him forever now. And so would his sisters!

Eveyrthing just froze for him. He sat behind Nevins and could hear people talking. They were happy. How could they be happy?

It was probably people he didn't know, that were happy. Yet, it made him feel sick. Strangers were cheering that his mother would be going to jail! They thought she was a mean person! Eric couldn't believe it. He had sent his mother to jail, he had let Nevins convince the jury that she was guilty. He hadn't stopped her. He sent his own mother to jail.

"Raquel Delko, I usually sentence people to very high crimes. But somehow I think that the number of years that you'll be behind bars doesn't matter to you. I think that being locked up and being a prisoner is the hardest punishement for you." Holden said, "I sentence you to 12 years in prison."

Raquel didn't say anything. She showed no emotion in her face. She just nodded, she accepted her punishment. And Judge Holne was probably right. The worse punishemnt for Raquel would be to spend 12 years with criminals. 12 years behind bars. She was no longer a free woman. She was a criminal. A prisoner.

Eric felt like throwing up. He rushed out of the court room with Horatio closely behind.

Once inside the mens room, he threw up in one of the toilets.

"Eric. I'm sorry." Horatio said and gently rubbed Eric's back.

He knew that Eric was very sad because of all that had happened with his mother.

Horatio wondered if he himself had done something to make it worse?

Had he really been so understanding? And maybe Eric blamed him. Horatio had told Eric to meet his mother and record what she was saying. He had been hoping so much for a confession. Maybe too much. It can't have been easy seeing your boyfriend hope for a confession to put your mother away.

"I'm sorry." Horatio said.

Eric was crying. Horatio hated to see him cry.

"You haven't done anything wrong H." Eric sobbed, "I sent my mother to jail."

"No, you didn't Eric."

"Yes, I did!"

"No, she sent herself to jail." Horatio said.

"Because of a confession that I happened to trigger." Eric said, "A confession that I forced out of her."

"You believe that it would have been like this if she hadn't confessed? That it would have been better if she would have walked out of here as a free woman?" Horatio asked, "She put herself in jail when she decided to give that money to Jason Ash. When she decided to commit a crime. That's when she got herself to jail, because sooner or later she would have been punished."

"But I'm her son. I should be supporting her. Not fight against her." Eric sobbed, "She really is all by herself. We have all abonded her."

"Eric, it's not your fault. Sometimes people make choices that makes them lose everyone."

"And they have themselves to blame?"

"Yes, you didn't make the choice to pay Jason Ash, she did. And you didn't make the choice to shoot me and Joseph, Jason Ash did that." Horatio said and gave Eric a kiss, "And they both did all that by themselves. Nobody forced them to do it. They made that choice, and I know that Rauqel was aware of all the things she could lose if she ever got caught."

"It's still so hard. I've always been mommy's little boy, and now I'm the son who.."

"Who did the right thing." Horatio said, "Who did what a CSI, a cop and good citizen should do."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Yes I do. And I'm sorry if I seemed too enthustiastic when your mother confessed. If I pushed you too much."

"You didn't H." Eric said, "You did what a CSI, a cop and a good citizen should do."

Horatio gave Eric a small smile.

"Are you ready to meet the rest of the worried family?" Horatio asked.

"Can't we just sneak out and go home?"

"Sure we can."

**-I-**

**25th July**

Early morning. Rain and thunder.

Yet Horatio was sleeping like a baby. Unaware of the bad weather and his boyfriend looking at him.

Eric had been looking at him for the last twenty minutes.

He wondered what he done to deserve such a man like Horatio. To deserve the love that Horatio gave him everyday.

Eric was slowly recovering from his mother's trial. A part of him would always blame himself. And the other part wouldn't.

Eric the son, had done the wrong thing. But Eric the CSI had done the right thing.

For the last five days, Horatio had taken care of him. Giving him hot baths, massage and held him when he cried.

Eric needed to repay him. Though he had to figure out how later, because right now, his and Horatio's Grand Danois puppies Waldo and Rascall had decided to rip apart Horatio's suit jacket. And it was one of his favourites.

It had ended on the floor last night, when Eric had asked Horatio to make love to him. So that for a while he could forget the last couple of days.

Eric got out of the bed and picked the jacket up.

"H, will not be happy when he sees holes in his jacket." Eric chuckled, "You mischevious little dogs."

Eric started scrathing the puppie's bellys.

"Ouch, no Waldo, not biting." Eric said as Waldo started biting his hand.

It didn't get easier when Rascall decided to bite Eric's sleeping pants.

"Bad Rascall." Eric said.

He heard someone laughing and looked over to the bed.

"You wanted puppies." Horatio chuckled, "Remeber that I told that they bite."

"Yeah, I remembet that. I also remember a certain read head that got very happy and excited when he saw a picture of two puppies." Eric grinned.

"Really? Do I know that read head?"

"No, but he's very hot and sexy." Eric smirked.

"Eric Delko, have you met someone else?" Horatio asked grinning.

Eric chukled and went back into bed.

"Oh yeah, I'm having this affair with a real stud." He grinned and caressed Horatio's chest.

Horatio chuckled and ran his hand down Eric's butt.

"My favorite ass." He smiled.

"I'm thinking about getting a tatoo on the ass." Eric said.

"What kind of a tatoo?"

"One that says: Property of Horatio Caine."

Horatio laughed.

"Then I'll do the same but with our name." He said.

"Sounds great." Eric smiled.

"I know, now let's make love like rabbits." Horatio chuckled and pulled the covers over him and Eric.

Waldo and Rascall ran around in the house looking for adventure. They found some shoes they could eat and of course each other's ears.

Life had been filled with worries and happiness.

But like Horatio liked to say sometimes to Eric, life isn't meant to be easy. It never has been and never will be.

And it was true. For a few weeks their lives had been hard.

But now it seemed as if it was time for them to be hapy, with their friends and family, and Waldo and Rascall.

**THE END!**

**AN: My first story in my H/E universe ends here. But I'm working on the 2nd one!**

**I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed and read this story!**

**I got far more hits on the story that I had imagined, over 7000! **

**And over 70 reviews!**

**I'm so happy, and I give you all a very big THANK YOU! **

**Here's the summery for the next story:**

_**A murderous robber spreads fear in Miami. Both Horatio and Joseph have a suprise for Eric. The big family will have to face sorrow, happiness and love again. **_

**I hope ya'll like the sequel! **


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